Half Brothers 2: The Wedding
by RenAndKishu
Summary: Shaman King crossover: After a few months of being apart, Kishu decides to pay Ren and his friends a visit. But that visit starts a better relationship for two of Kishu’s friends. Full Summary Inside. Warning: includes some minor Yaoi. R&R Please.
1. An Encounter with a Crazy Man

Full Summary: After a few months of being apart, Kishu decides to pay Ren and his friends a visit. But that visit starts a better relationship for two of Kishu's friends. Packed with crazy antics, awkward situations, dramatic scenes, mischievous plans, witty humor, and a lot more. Pairings include- Tokyo Mew Mew: Lettuce+Pai, Ichigo+Kishu, Taruto+Pudding, Ryou+Keiichiro. Shaman King: Jun+Pyron.

**Chapter 1: An Encounter with a Crazy Man**

**In The Shaman Dimension **

It had been around a month or two since Kishu left for his dimension. Lyserg had left to join the X-Laws and Ren and his friends had met a new companion, Chocolove. Jun, Anna, Faust, Eliza, Tamao, and Manta who joined them right after Kishu left are still with them, and they have been traveling together for what seemed like a longer time than it actually was. They had explained to Anna and the others about the encounter they had had with Kishu and all his friends, but they Anna not believe it. They had just reached Patch Village, where the second round of the Shaman fight was to be held. Ren had lately been thinking a lot about his brother, and been slinking off in the middle of the night to think with Bason. He had also been thinking of the encounter with Hao he had had about a week ago, when he had asked him to join him and his comrades, to fight against Yoh and his friends. Ren had still not given him his answer and none of his friends new about the offer.

We join Ren at a waterfall near the village with Bason, sitting in the grass at the waters edge and meditating alone and peacefully. Or so he thought.

"REN!" exclaimed two voices from behind him.

Ren immediately jumped out of his mind, and almost slipped off of the edge and into the water.

"What was that for you idiot?" snapped Ren getting up and turning to the annoyances that had so rudely awoken him. It was of course, Horo Horo and Chocolove.

"I just thought…" Horo Horo didn't finish. Ren shoved him into the water, and he landed belly down with a huge splash. He turned to Chocolove, and threw him in to, he didn't even have a chance to defend himself.

Ren straitened his hair and stared down at the water.

Horo Horo and Chocolove emerged frowning. "Hey!" Horo Horo said spitting out water.

"Master Ren…forgive me for speaking without permission, but you could have handled that much smoother…" said Bason.

"Excuse me? What was that?" Ren said coldly.

"I-I'm sorry, it was nothing Master…" stuttered Bason.

"That's what I thought." Ren said turning to Horo Horo and Chocolove, who were climbing awkwardly out of the water.

"Brrr! That water sure wakes you up at this time of the night!" said Chocolove shivering, fluffing his afro back up to its normal hight.

Horo Horo was apparently not concerned about his wet clothes and hair, for he was from the North. Kororo, however, was not so forgiving. She was shaking the water out furiously (for the little Koropokkoru had been in Horo Horo's hair at the time he fell) and decided to give Ren the cold shoulder until he apologized, which she knew would probably be never.

"What are you doing following me out at this time of night?" asked Ren, annoyed at this disturbance.

"We just wondered where you've went every night we've been here." Horo Horo said shaking out his wet spiky hair.

"Yeah, we have a right to know, we are your team mates Ren, and you chose us yourself." Chocolove said, followed by a sneeze.

"Well that's no reason to go spy on someone." Ren said crossing his arms.

"So you don't like people spying on you?" said another voice from atop the water fall. It sounded much like Yoh, but unfortunately it was someone much, much more evil.

They all turned to see Hao, with the spirit of fire behind him. He was grinning a menacing insanely wide grin, his long, long brown hair blowing in the small breeze, making him look even more insane. Chocolove was afraid of him for a second. At Hao's ankles was none other than Opacho, smiling almost as wide as his master/friend.

"What do you want Hao?" exclaimed Horo Horo pointing at the crazy man standing at the top of the water fall.

"Ren." He said grinning wider (if that was possible)

"WHAT?" screamed Horo Horo and Chocolove in unison.

"About a week ago, I asked Ren here to join me in my quest to become Shaman King. I never got my answer for I was interrupted by you two." Hao explained a little impatient (which was odd for him).

"So that's what you were doing there?" asked Chocolove.

"Yes. Now Ren, what is your answer?" asked Hao narrowing his eyes to slits.

"No." Ren said simply.

"What was that?" said Hao, his smile changing to a frown. "Did you just deny my friendship?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"I said yes."

"You are refusing to join me? Why is that?"

"I don't wish to fight along side you, I do not believe in your reasons for becoming Shaman King. If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have said yes. But I have changed, Hao."

"But I am not only asking you to fight with me, I want to be your friend as well. Don't you want to have friends, Ren?" said Hao, a hint of smile returning.

"I already have enough friends." Ren said gesturing to Horo Horo and Chocolove, who by now were more confused then they had been for a long time.

"Friends?" said Chocolove, a tear forming in the corner of his eye.

"Yes, but don't tell anyone." Ren said rolling his eyes. Chocolove sneezed again.

Hao had now almost lost his temper, which was hard for Hao to have happen to him. "I am only going to ask one more time Tao Ren. Will you fight along side me in my quest to become Shaman King?" he said, a vein pulsing in his temple. "Think about it Ren, I am a lot stronger than, those two. I can help you to gain power to defeat my brother once and for all. Isn't that what you want?"

"I can defeat him on my own, Hao. I will be the Shaman King. In turn, I will defeat you as well. So still, my answer is no.

"You heard him, he said no." said Chocolove putting his elbow on Ren's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." Ren said shoving his elbow off.

"Fine. Than I will fight you for you." Hao said smirking.

"What?" said Horo Horo.

"Ren, I will fight you. If I win: you join me. If you win: you get the glory of defeating me, the all mighty Hao Asakura." Hao said raising his chin a little.

"You can actually see his head getting bigger." Chocolove whispered to Horo Horo.

"Don't speak about Hao-sama like that!" scowled Opacho at Chocolove.

"And what if I refuse?" asked Ren.

"Than I will kill your sister." Hao answered removing a strand of hair from his face.

A look of fear struck Ren's face for a moment, but he quickly recovered himself.

"Ah, have I struck a soft spot Ren?" asked Hao, amused at his discomfort.

"You wouldn't." said Ren.

"Oh, but I will. And you know I can, don't you." Hao said smiling what almost looked like a sincere smile.

Ren hesitated. "Fine. I accept."

"Good. I knew you would." Hao said.

"We should go Hao-sama…" said Opacho looking up at his master/friend.

"All right Opacho." Hao said petting his little friends head. "I shall see you at noon tomorrow, Ren, right here." Hao and Opacho disappeared into thin air, and were gone.

The three stood in silence for a full three minutes. It was Bason who spoke first:

"Master, we should head back to the diner, the others will be worrying."

Ren looked at Bason, and then nodded slightly. They began to walk back to the village, still in silence.

But again, the silence was broken a moment later.

"So…Ren…how do you suppose you will be able to defeat Hao? I mean, you are strong and all, but Hao is like…god strong." Horo Horo said watching his feat as he stepped.

"I really don't know." Ren said slowly.

"Come on you guys, lets stop all this sad gloomy behavior, and tell a joke or something!" said Chocolove, trying to brighten the mood.

"Are you going to tell it?" asked Ren.

"Of course!"

"Then no."

"What?"

"You know why. You're jokes all suck." Horo Horo chuckled punching Chocolove's arm playfully.

"Hey! They do not!" said Chocolove frowning.

"Yes they do." Ren said, a hint of smile showing on his usually angry face.

"Well, I did manage to brighten the mood!" said Chocolove smiling.

They arrived at the diner just then, Silva and Kalim were behind the counter serving tea to Yoh and Anna, and everyone else was sitting somewhere or another around the diner.

"There you are!" said Jun jumping up and grabbing Ren's arm. She pulled him to the table her and Pyron were sitting at. Chocolove and Horo Horo sat down next to him. "Where on earth have you three been?" asked Jun shoveling rice onto a plate she got especially for Ren.

"Um…actually, we had an encounter with Hao." Chocolove said awkwardly.

Everyone in the diner stopped eating.

"What?" asked Jun.

"He asked Ren something." Horo Horo said.

"What did he ask?" asked Ryu sitting at the next table.

"He asked me to join him." said Ren casually drinking a sip of milk.

"WHAT? You said no, right?" said Yoh jumping up.

"Of course, what do you take me for?" snapped Ren.

"Oh, ok then, that's all good." Yoh said settling back into his seat.

"There's more." Horo Horo said between bites of food.

"More?" asked Manta, who was down at Yoh's ankles, just as Opacho had been for Hao.

"Yeah, Hao challenged Ren to a fight. If Ren wins, he gets the glory of defeating Hao, if Hao wins, Ren joins him, but if he refuses," Horo Horo paused. "Jun is killed."

"What?" said Jun, shocked that she had been involved.

"I said I'd accept." Ren said taking another sip.

"How do you expect to defeat him? He is like, all powerful man." Yoh said searching for some granola in his pocket.

"Well, we're going to fight with him." said Chocolove, sneezing again.

"You are?" asked Ren.

"Yeah, of course, unless Hao says we can't…" said Horo Horo sucking down a piece of cake.

Ren paused, and smiled. "Thank you."

Everyone finished dinner, all trying to avoid the subject of Ren and Hao, and then started up to there rooms. Ryu, Faust, Manta and Yoh went up first, all being forced by Anna. They were followed by everyone else, all taking there sweet time. Jun hugged Ren goodnight, and went up right before Ren, Chocolove and Horo Horo, who eventually all went up to their room as well.

Chocolove and Horo Horo fell asleep fast, the snoring was enough to keep Ren up, but that's not why he lied awake in his cot, nor was the fact that he was fighting Hao the next day. It was actually the fact that he was missing his brother. For the first time in his life, he missed someone who was not Jun.


	2. A Fight and a Plan

**Chapter 2: A Fight and a Plan**

**In The Mew Mew Dimension: **

In the month that has passed since the Shaman's had visited the Mew Mew dimension, a lot had happened. For starters; Ichigo had found out that she can turn into a full cat when she is kissed, and must be kissed again to turn into a human, Kishu still loved Ichigo, and Pai seemed to want to go on more missions with Kishu and Taruto more lately, for some reason.

For the last 20 minutes, the Aliens and the Mew Mews had been fighting in the park. The people had all scattered, and the aliens had gotten a new Chimera Anima, a giant squirrel.

"Come on, Kitty, I know you can fight better than that." Kishu said to Ichigo, smirking as she was hit by the monster's iron hard tail. She slammed into the hard concrete sidewalk. All her friends came running to her aid.

"I can fight better, Kishu!" Ichigo yelled, standing, with some help from Mint. She and the other Mews got into fighting stance.

"Oh? And how do you expect to defeat this Chimera Anima? Please do tell." Kishu said smiling wider. Pai hovered over to Kishu.

"Kishu, I do not think that this Chimera Anima is very strong, are you sure we cannot find a stronger animal for the infusion?" Pai asked.

"This is plenty strong, Pai." Kishu said, not truly believing what he said himself.

"Kishu!" Taruto yelled up at Kishu. Kishu looked down to the ground and saw Taruto standing on the ground, trying to take flight but something was holding him back. It was that Pudding girl. "Help me!" Taruto said pulling harder away from Pudding, with no luck whatsoever.

"Taruto, I would appreciate it if you would stop playing around and come up here and join us." Pai said, not amused.

"I'm not playing!" Taruto yelled angrily.

"Fine…" Kishu said as he pointed the Chimera Anima in Pudding direction.

"Ah!" Pudding yelled letting go of Taruto and leaping out of the way of the charging Chimera Anima.

"Thank you." Taruto said, as he floated to where Kishu and Pai were.

"Come on, Mews!" Ichigo yelled as the other Mews ran towards her and knelt in a small circle around Ichigo. Ichigo lifted her Strawberry Bell over her head; the other Mew's powers seemed to be combining with hers.

"RIBBON STRAWBERRY SUPRIZE!" Ichigo yelled as she attacked the Chimera Anima with all their powers combined. The Chimera Anima screeched in pain as it was separated back into the spirit of a squirrel and the Alien infuser, which Masha ate up.

"I knew it wasn't strong enough, Kishu." Pai said accusingly.

"Yes, yes Pai. I know…" Kishu said shrugging "No use crying over spilt milk." Kishu said smiling; a thought of Ren streaked his mind for a brief moment. Taruto was angry at their defeat, he was stomping his feet in the air and grumbling angrily. Pai groaned.

"That's what you get, Taru-Taru," Pudding said crossing her arms and frowning, "For being evil, Na no da."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Taruto screamed. Kishu landed on the ground and walked towards Ichigo.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Ichigo stuttered, nervously taking a small step back. Kishu grinned.

"What? Cant I come over and congratulate you on you victory?" Kishu grinned wider. The other aliens landed on the ground a few feet behind Kishu.

"But, you're all scaly and slimy!" Ichigo complained backing away.

"Scaly? Slimy?" Kishu asked stopping in his tracks. "Why would you think that, Kitty?" Kishu asked her.

"Because you are!" Ichigo yelled backing up even more.

"I hardly think our skin is much different in texture from yours, Kitty." Kishu said feeling the skin on his arm. "Come now, feel." Kishu said extending his arm to Ichigo.

"Ew! No way am I going to feel your alien skin!" Ichigo yelled.

"Pudding will feel na no da!" Pudding yelled running up to Kishu and grabbing his arm. "Hmm… nope, it's not scaly or slimy."

"PUDDING!" Ichigo yelled pulling her friend away from Kishu. "Don't touch him, he could hurt you!" Ichigo yelled at Pudding. Pudding smiled and almost instantly was out of Ichigo's grasps and standing next to Kishu.

"Nu-uh! Kishu won't do that, silly!" Pudding said grinning.

"Aww, you are so cute!" said Kishu petting Pudding's head.

"EW! HE TOUCHED YOUR HEAD!" exclaimed Ichigo shutting her eyes at the, to her, disgusting sight. She grabbed Zakuro's arm for support, for she felt like she was about to faint.

"Ichigo, they are not gross…" said Lettuce taking the risk of speaking to Ichigo without being spoken to.

"SHUT UP LETTUCE!" Ichigo exclaimed waving her arm to hit her, but Lettuce moved away and stood next to Pai. "Gross…" she said sticking her nose in the air.

"They're not slimy." Lettuce said touching Pai's ear. "His ear is smooth."

"You are sadly mistaken." Ichigo protested.

Zakuro touched Taruto's arm, and her reaction was just like Lettuce and Pudding's.

"It is normal." she said neutrally.

"You are all simply insane. Tell them Mint." Ichigo scowled. "Mint?" she turned to where Mint was, but no one was there. She turned back to the aliens, and Mint was about to touch Kishu's arm, she was cautiously reaching out. "NO!" exclaimed Ichigo, but it was too late, Mint swiped her finger across Kishu's arm.

"It most certainly is not slimy or scaly. In fact, it is smoother than your skin, Ichigo." Mint said frowning.

"Hmm… Kishu's skin is just slightly rougher than Taru-Taru's, Na no da!" Pudding said grabbing Taruto's ears in both of her hands and smiling.

"YOU GUYS ARE INSSS…ANE!" Ichigo dragged out the S for nearly 20 seconds.

"Let go! And stop touching our skin, it's weird." Taruto said swatting Pudding's hands away from him.

"Hehe, you're silly Taru-Taru, Na no da!" Pudding said giggling.

"Nu-uh!" Taruto yelled defensively.

"Yeah Huh, Na no da!" Pudding yelled back.

"Nu-UH!" Taruto yelled louder.

"YEAH HUH, NA NO DA!" Pudding screamed back, as loud as she could.

"NU-UUUUUUUUHHHH, NA NO DA!" Taruto yelled, hearing himself and turning bright red. Pudding giggled at him. He crossed his arms angrily.

"Taru-Taru said 'Na no da.'" Pudding said pointing at him.

"DID NOT!" Taruto yelled.

"DID TO, NA NO DA!" Pudding yelled back at him, pointing her finger closer to Taruto.

"DID NO-" Taruto began but was cut off by Kishu.

"Stop yelling already, would you? You're giving me a migraine!" Kishu said angrily as he put his hand on his head.

"Yeah Pudding, stop it." Taruto said pushing her finger away from him and smirking.

"You two are acting like children." Pai said neutrally.

"NU-UH!" Both Pudding and Taruto yelled at the same time.

"Please, you two, if you would, please stop the screaming." Lettuce said quietly.

"Fine…" Both Pudding and Taruto said together. Taruto crossed his arms and turned away.

"We should be going." Taruto said to Kishu and Pai. They nodded and levitated off of the ground.

"I'll see you soon, Kitty!" Kishu said as he slowly ascended.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked with some worry in her voice.

"Nothing, goodbye Kitty!" Kishu said waving.

"Farewell, Lettuce." Pai said as he followed Kishu to the sky. Lettuce looked up at him.

"Good bye, Pai-san." Lettuce said politely.

"Yeah, Bye!" Taruto said sticking his tongue out at Pudding.

"Bye Taru-Taru, Na no da!" She replied waving over her head as the alien's teleported away.

The Mews walked back to the café, they still worked there.

It was not a long walk, for the café was right near the park in which they were fighting at. They arrived at the door, and there was a piece of paper stuck to it with a tack.  
"What's this?" asked Ichigo taking the paper off the door. It read;

"_Dear Mews;_

_Ryou and I have gone to an all male all exclusive spa for the day, but the traveling time may make that two days. You will have to take care of the café by yourselves, but I trust you. But just in case, I am going to leave the café in the capable hands of Zakuro._

_See you soon, Keiichiro."_

"ZAKURO? Why does she get to be in charge?" asked Ichigo throwing the letter on the ground.

"Well, she is the oldest." Mint said.

"I guess we'll be on our own for a while." Zakuro said opening the door.

"Do you think we can handle it without breaking something?" snapped Ichigo looking at Lettuce and Pudding. Pudding shrugged, and Lettuce looked away embarrassed.

The Mews walked through the door, and were startled to see the place completely clean, to the smallest speck.

"Wow. The floor is so smooth. Perfect for Puddings special fire breathing, super sliding through a flaming hoop blindfolded triple-" Pudding began but was cut off by Ichigo.

"NO WAY PUDDING! That could set the whole place on fire!" Ichigo screamed.

"Not the whole place, only a few tables and-" Pudding started but Ichigo stopped her again.

"That sounds way too dangerous! No way that is that happening!" Ichigo yelled, "Tell her Zakuro." Ichigo finished turning to Zakuro.

"As much as I would love to see that trick of yours Pudding, I'll have to agree with Ichigo, without Ryou and Keiichiro here it could be dangerous." Zakuro said crossing her arms.

"Fine…" Pudding muttered.

The Mews opened the café and started work again.

**On Top Of a Nearby Building:**

"Kishu, what are you thinking of?" Pai asked Kishu.

"Why would you think I was thinking something up, Pai?" Kishu replied smiling.

"Because I know you Kishu, and you are probably thinking of doing something big, like seeing that brother of yours again." Pai said raising an eyebrow to Kishu.

"Was it that obvious?" Kishu said shrugging.

"Yeah, it was! Even I knew something was up Kishu." Taruto said putting his hands behind his head and smirking. Kishu shrugged again.

"Well, I was thinking that we could bring the Mew Mews on a little… Adventure." Kishu said grinning widely. "Tonight, when the Mews are about to leave to go home from the café, you ambush them, and stall. I will go to my brother's dimension first, to see how everything is; then, I will come and help you two take them with us."


	3. Hao's Fight

**Chapter 3: Hao's Fight**

**In the Shaman Dimension:**

"What do you mean you to sick to fight?" Horo Horo yelled at Chocolove, who was lying on his cot with a thermometer in his mouth and an icepack on his head.

"It was that ice cold water… I caught a cold, a bad one." Chocolove said in a sickly voice.

"But we're supposed to help Ren! Do you want him to join Hao?" Horo Horo snapped.

"I can't!" Chocolove said almost sneezing. Horo Horo yanked the thermometer out of Chocolove's mouth and read it. A look of shock rushed to Horo Horo's face.

"A HUNDRED AND THREE! POINT TWO!" Horo Horo yelled.

"Ouch, could you not yell, my head is killing me." Chocolove said putting his hand over the icepack on his head. Horo Horo looked worried.

"What about me and Ren? We are going to get killed out there!" Horo Horo said quieter.

"We'll be fine." Said a voice from the door. Horo Horo and Chocolove turned around to see Ren standing there in his battle outfit with his Kwan Dao in his hand. "We cannot force Chocolove to fight, even if he came with us, there is no way he would have enough energy to fight. He probably won't even have enough for an Oversoul."

"But…" Horo Horo started.

"But nothing." Ren finished for him.

"I'm sorry guys; I would fight if I could." Chocolove said holding the ice pack on his head and sitting up, with some trouble.

"We'll be fine." Ren said inspecting his Kwan Dao for impurities.

"How can you be sure? This is Hao!" Chocolove said, sounding sicker with every word he said.

"I don't know, but I won't lose. I can't. I will not let myself." Ren said angrily clutching his Kwan Dao harder, his hand shaking with rage. Horo Horo and Chocolove exchanged glances, they were both worried.

"Ren? Horo Horo? Chocolove?" Someone said as they ran into the room. "There you are, I wanted to give you guys some granola for good luck."

"Well, now that you mention it…at this time, granola sounds kind of good." Horo Horo said taking a piece from Yoh.

"What about you, Ren?" he asked offering him a piece with a large smile on his face.

"No thank you Yoh." Ren said.

"OK. Oh, and Chocolove, Anna told me to bring you some soup. Here." Yoh reached into his pocket and pulled out a can of soup.

"It's supposed to be cooked, you know." Horo Horo said taking the can.

"What? It is? Oh, sorry." Yoh said blushing at his embarrassment.

"That's fine; I'm not in the mood to eat anyway…" Chocolove said lying back down and rolling onto his side, the ice pack falling off his head. "I think I'm going to take a rest." He said sleepily.

Just then, Jun walked in.

"Hi you guys." She said softly, staring at the ground.

"Hi Jun." said Horo Horo.

"Look, we better be on our way. Where did he say you were going to have the, err, fight?" she said hesitating.

"At the waterfall, where we met with him." said Ren standing his weapon up strait.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Jun gesturing to Chocolove.

"He's sick. We fell, well; we were more like pushed into the water yesterday." Horo Horo said glaring at Ren.

"How come you didn't get sick?" asked Jun.

"Well, I'm used to the freezing cold temperatures." Horo Horo announced proudly.

"Well, he is coming isn't he? Just to watch and support Renny?" asked Jun sadly.

"I guess - ACHOO! - I could watch at least…" Chocolove said wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Can you carry me?" he asked sarcastically to Ren.

"Pyron will." Ren said.

Pyron appeared from the door beside Jun. "Me?" he asked pointing to himself.

"Yes, you are strong, aren't you Pyron?" asked Ren.

"Yes Master Ren." the corpse replied.

Pyron went up to Chocolove, and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"HEY! Be careful." Chocolove said sniffing.

They all exited the room, and were greeted outside by Anna, Manta, Tamao, Ryu, Faust, and Pirika.

"Pirika?" asked Horo Horo, shocked at the sudden appearance of his little sister.

"HORO HORO!" she exclaimed hugging him. "I came as soon as I heard. You are going to fight Hao?"

"How did you hear?"

"The rumors are all over Patch, everyone's going to be there!" she said letting him go.

"What are you doing here in the first place?"

"I came to watch you compete in the second round, I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Hey, you two-" interrupted Ryu. "It's almost Noon."

"ACK! I'M SO WORRIED!" exclaimed Tamao shutting her eyes.

"Don't worry," began Yoh. "They can take care of themselves." He said smiling.

Tamao blushed at Yoh trying to comfort her.

Jun hadn't spoken much about the subject of the fight since she had heard, and she had almost ignored Ren.

"Jun?" asked Ren looking up at his sister. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You are going to get yourself killed out there! Even if he doesn't totally destroy you, you will have to join him…" she said, a tear rolling down her face.

"You don't think I can win?" he asked frowning.

"Well, no actually. Hao is…Hao…" she said wiping the tear away.

"Don't worry Jun, I will not, cannot, lose to him." he said reassuring her.

Jun smiled, but it was forced.

They started to the waterfall. There was a large crowd of people hovering around the fight area, and Ren was a little embarrassed for himself.

As soon as the other shamans realized they had arrived, they all began to clap, shouting out random cheers of encouragement.

"YOU CAN TO IT!"

"KILL THAT CRAZY MAN BEFORE HE KILLS ANOTHER!"

"TERMINATE HIM!" said a man to Pyron.

"Are you speaking to me?" Asked Pyron to the man.

"OF CORSE, YOU CAN DO IT REN!" the man yelled, still to Pyron.

"I am not Master Ren." Pyron said stepping aside, reviling Ren standing with his long weapon. There was a long pause.

"A kid?" said the man.

"We're doomed." A woman shaman said screaming.

A sense of panic struck the crowd.

"Hey! Hao is a kid himself you know!" said Horo Horo pointing to the man.

"But he's like, technically a thousand years old." A girl said.

"Hey! These 'kids' are definitely strong enough to fight Hao! They might even win!" said a familiar voice among the crowd. They turned to see Sharona and rest of the Lilly 5 standing next to Ryu.

"Thanks you guys." Horo Horo said smiling.

"You're welcome." Millie said smiling up at Ryu.

A loud laugh broke the argument. Every shaman turned and saw Hao sitting on a rock among the waterfall.

"Glad you showed up, Ren." He said smiling. Opacho was sitting next to him. "Ready for our fight?"

"Yes." Ren replied stepping out of the crowd. They all spread out to allow a large gap in between them all.

"And I'm fighting with him!" exclaimed Horo Horo stepping behind him.

"Well, I guess that's all right. You might as well make it more fair, no offense Ren. But him, and only him will join our fight." Hao said looking at his brother. "Remember, this is not an official fight, just merely a quarrel between friends." Hao jumped off his rock and landed next to them.

"We are not friends." Ren snapped angrily.

"That's right, show your anger. You fight better when you are enraged." Hao said grinning.

"Good luck Ren." Jun whispered to herself and Pyron, who had laid Chocolove out on the grass to watch.

"You can do it Ren and Horo Horo!" coughed Chocolove.

"Ready?" asked Hao. "Go." Within a second, his spirit of fire had appeared underneath him, Hao was standing on the spirit's shoulder, grinning maniacally. The spirit raised its hand into the air as fire blew from the sharp fingers of its deep red hand.

"BASON, BIG OVERSOUL!" Ren shouted as Bason grew to the size of the ferocious fire spirit.

"KORORO, BIG OVERSOUL!" Horo Horo yelled, as Kororo grew to nearly the size of Bason.

"Hmm…what a waste." Hao said as his powerful spirit slashed its hand down on Kororo, breaking Horo Horo's Oversoul. Horo Horo fell to the ground.

"HORO HORO!" exclaimed Ren turning his gaze from Hao.

"Your mistake!" said Hao slamming Ren's Oversoul. Bason slid on his feet and rammed into the crowd. The people shrieked, and ran out of the giant robot warriors path.

Horo Horo got up. "I'm okay Ren." He managed to say. "A couple of bruises, but nothing's broken…except my ego…"

"Hmm. I'm surprised you can speak, but that will end soon." Hao said as the spirit raised its hand again, effortlessly.

"Oh no you don't." Ren said as Bason stepped in front Horo Horo.

"Oh, you're standing up for him?" Hao said grinning wider. The spirit of fire brought its strong hand crashing down upon Bason, nearly overwhelming him. But Bason managed to stand his ground, for the time being.

"Yes, I am." Ren said with a small grin.

Bason punched the spirit of fire in the stomach, but with no effect. The Fire God grabbed Bason's hand and tossed it aside. Hao grabbed Horo Horo, though he had no Oversoul, and threw him at Ren. Bason caught him just in time, before he slammed into his hard Oversoul body. Hao's timing was perfect, his aim precision. He struck Bason in the chest, causing Ren to lose his Oversoul. Both Ren and Horo Horo plummeted to the ground. Luckily, Bason was quick; he cushioned the impacted of the harsh fall, but barely. Ren slowly raised himself to his feet.

"Well, you are still standing. That is good; I need a strong fighter on my team." Hao said with his smile growing wider than Ren preferred.

"Ha. That's funny. You think I will join you." Ren said smiling a little.

"What are you talking about? Of coarse you will join me. I will win." Hao said.

"I would die before I would join you Hao." Ren said with a smile that led semiconscious Horo Horo to believe Ren had gone mad.

"If you will not be my comrade, you will be no ones!" Hao yelled, as he began to get angry. The fire spirit clenched its hand into a fist and aimed for Ren. Ren's smile was unchanged. "TAKE THIS!" Hao screamed madly.

The fire spirit sent a blow in Ren's direction. Ren closed his eyes and awaited the blow. Time went by, to much time. Ren opened his eyes and saw an alien boy standing there, blocking the attack from Hao.

"Hello, Brother, it looked like you required some assistance."


	4. Brother's Friends

**Chapter 4: Brother's Friends**

"Brother? Wha-What are you doing here?" stuttered Ren almost speechless.

"I came for a visit little brother." Kishu said, still holding the attack from Hao.

"Oh how sweet. Your brother has come to your rescue." Hao chuckled.

Kishu pushed the spirit of fire's arm away, and smiled.

"I will not let you harm my brother, or his friends."

Chocolove was stunned, for he had not been with the others at the time they met Kishu and his friends. He rubbed his eyes. "Wow, my fever must be getting worse, I'm seeing crazy alien dudes!"

"No, he is there!" said Jun smiling at her brother's appearance.

"What?" Chocolove was utterly confused.

"You see; about a month ago, right before we met you, my brother came for a visit. Kishu is his name. He is an alien from another dimension." Jun explained.

"Great, now I'm going crazy." Chocolove muttered.

"Our father had an affair with an alien he met her using ancient Tao family technology. He conceived Kishu, unknowingly, and then returned to us. Our mother never knew until a few years later when his mistress showed up with a little baby Kishu. But, this was all before Ren was born." Jun finished.

"Wow, your family is really messed up…"

"You can't do anything to protect him from me. If he refused to fight along side me, than he will not fight with anyone ever again. And you can't do anything to stop me from killing him; you're just a weak little alien." Hao scowled.

"I may just be an alien, but I most certainly am not weak." Kishu said with a hint of annoyance on his brow.

Horo Horo had pulled himself up, but he was seeing two of everything. "Hey Ren, is that your brother I'm seeing?"

"You shouldn't be standing." Ren said not taking his eyes of his brother.

"Oh? You think you are strong do you?" Hao said in a mocking manor.

"Stronger than you know." Kishu said smiling in an evil way. "You see, you are a shaman, correct?" Kishu asked, Hao nodded, "Well, you have been trained to fight other shaman, but I am not a shaman like my brother. I know how to fight shaman, though. I have been to this world more than once, and I have seen my brother and his friends fight. I have an advantage on you."

"You think you have an advantage? I am the almighty Hao, I am strong. And I will show you just how strong I am." Hao smiled.

The fire spirit lunged at Kishu, igniting its fists ablaze. Kishu smiled and teleported out of the way. Hao stopped in his tracks. He glanced around and saw Kishu levitating behind him. The fire spirit turned around to face Kishu. Kishu was levitating at eye level with the fire spirit.

"I see. You are not of this world; I do not know your strengths or weaknesses. Yet, you understand how shaman and spirits operate. I understand." Hao said as the spirit relaxed. "I suppose I have overstayed my welcome, then. I will leave."

Hao and the spirit of fire took their leave instantly, like a flame extinguishing.

"Well. I guess I scared him off, eh, brother?" Kishu said turning to Ren and landing back on the ground.

Ren just stood there and stared at his brother.

"What do you want?" he said glaring at him.

"Can't I stop by to say hello?" Kishu said shrugging. "What is this?" he gestured to Chocolove.

"That is Chocolove." Ren answered.

"What ever happened to that druggy? Lyserg?" asked Kishu inspecting Chocolove up close.

"He left with these people called the X-Laws, and then we met him." Ren said crossing his arms.

"Wow, a sweaty one, this one." Kishu said poking Chocolove.

"He is ill." Ren said.

"KISH!" exclaimed Jun grabbing Kishu, and shoving Chocolove onto the ground to get to him. Pyron picked him up and again, threw him over his shoulder. Jun hugged Kishu and petted him on his head. "Why on earth did you come back so soon?"

"Aren't you happy to see me, sis?" he asked, looking a little hurt.

"Of course! But I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"Well, I thought I left our last visit off with a little too many questions unanswered. Plus, I want to get to know my little brother a little better! Maybe watch him fight a few battles, see what he's capable of!" he said patting Ren's pointy hair.

"Humph…" grunted Ren. In truth, he was happy to see his brother, but he wasn't about to start showing emotions this late in his life.

Anna, seeing the alien boy in front of her, decided to apologize to Yoh and the others for not believing them when they had told her about their adventures in Kishu's world. "Well, I guess I believe you, Yoh. Maybe you did go to another dimension." Anna said, not looking at her fiancé as she apologized.

"So, Kishu, where are your enchanting friends?" asked Ryu looking around for Zakuro.

"Oh, I thought I would meet up with you first, see how your doing, I'm going to bring them all here this time, to see your world!" Kishu said smiling.

"Why exactly do you continue forcing us to meet with your odd friends?" asked Ren.

"Well, I thought you of all people could use some extra friends, brother." Kishu replied.

"What are you waiting for? Go and get them!" exclaimed Yoh, hoping he could persuade Mint to eat some of his granola this time.

Kishu did not hesitate, she disappeared into thin air.

**In the Mew Mew Dimension: **

"Where's Kishu?" Ichigo asked the two aliens blocking the Mew's exit from the café.

"He is not joining us, yet." Pai answered crossing his arms.

"What do you mean, yet? Is he coming?" Ichigo asked stepping backwards.

"Ha, the way you are talking about him sounds like you like him!" Taruto laughed.

"Do not, don't ever say anything like that ever again, RUNT!" Ichigo screamed.

"HAG!" Taruto yelled back.

"Taruto, we are not here for name calling, you know what we are supposed to do." Pai said neutrally.

"And what, may I ask, are you here for?" Lettuce asked shyly.

"You will know momentarily." Pai said glancing at Lettuce.

"Why can't you tell us now?" Mint asked them.

"Because I can't." Pai answered, "Kishu told us not to, yet."

The air around Ichigo began to shake and blur. Suddenly, Kishu appeared with his arm around Ichigo's neck.

"ACK! LET GO OF ME SLIM BALL!" she screeched pushing him away from her. Her ears and tail popped out, she hissed and clawed at him like a cat, and then she ran and hid behind Zakuro.

"Now that was not a very nice greeting kitty-cat." Kishu said smirking. "No need to get all frisky."

"Shut up! What do you want! Why don't you let us out of here, we want to go home to our families!" argued Ichigo pointing at him.

"Family. That is the reason I brought you here, I am going to take you with me to see my brother's dimension this time. Won't that be nice, Ichigo? Seeing my brother and all his friends again?" said Kishu grinning.

A memory of Horo Horo saying her hair was, of all colours, red, flashed in her mind.

"Why would we want to see your friends?" asked Mint remembering the rudeness of Yoh's granola-pushing.

"Don't be mean Ichigo's friend." He said to Mint.

"It's Mint." She said snarling.

Ichigo pushed her ears and tail back in.

"So, what if we refuse to go with you?" asked Ichigo frowning.

"Well, you don't really have a choice." Kishu said. He snapped his fingers, and their surrounding melted away before them.

"Finally, Brother, what took you so?" Ren asked as Kishu and his friends appeared. All the people who had crowded around them were all gone now.

"Sorry, I had a little chat before I left." Kishu said shrugging.

"Oh my gosh! Where are we?" Ichigo said as she glanced at the surroundings.

"Oh, this is my brother's dimension." Kishu said gesturing to the land around.

"YOU!" Horo Horo yelled pointing at Ichigo.

"YOU!" Ichigo screamed pointing back.

"You." Pyron said staring at Pai.

"You." Pai said turning to Pyron and Jun.

"You?" Yoh said raising a bar of granola to Mint.

"You…" Mint replied looking away from Yoh.

"Who?" Chocolove said quietly, as he took this all in.

There was a long and awkward pause.

"YOU, NA NO DA!" Pudding yelled breaking the silence and hugged Taruto.

"HEY! WE'RE FROM THE SAME DIMENSION, REMEMBER!" Taruto yelled pushing her away.

"Silly Taru-Taru!" Pudding giggled, "I know, Na no da!"

"We're friends of Kishu." Zakuro said glancing at Chocolove as Pyron placed him on the ground; he seemed to be almost fully better now.

"That's….. Ren's brother? I'm so confused!" Chocolove said holding his head. "WHO ARE ALL YOU PEOPLE?"

"Well, I'm Pudding, this is Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Zakuro, Kishu, Pai and this is Taruto, Na no da!" Pudding said pointing to everyone individually, then putting one arm around Taruto's neck and pointing to him with her other hand.

"It's Taru-Tar-" Taruto began, and then covered his mouth with his hands. "I- I mean Taruto, that's right." He stuttered, removing his hands from his mouth. Kishu laughed at his friend. Taruto realized pudding still had her arm around his neck; he smacked it away and crossed his arms angrily.

"Uh… Okay…" Chocolove scratched his head.

"Kitty, why don't you go say hello to your friend?" Kishu said, referring to Horo Horo.

"Do you want me to fall in love with him or something?" Ichigo yelled turning to Kishu and putting her hands on her hips.

"Of coarse not, Kitty, I would hate that!" Kishu said lowing his eyebrows .Ichigo smiled and raised an eyebrow to him.

"Oh, really?" Ichigo said grinning wider, "Well, what if I did fall in love with him?"

"You didn't." Kishu said simply.

Ichigo's smile turned to an annoyed frown; she turned and walked over to Horo Horo and grabbed his coat.

"Whatcha - Whatcha doing?" Horo Horo stammered nervously. Ichigo smiled evilly. Horo Horo ripped free of her clutches and fled from her. "Get away!" he screamed.

"I just want to ask you something, WAIT!" Ichigo yelled and ran after him.

"Ah… Ichigo is so cute when she is desperate…" Kishu said watching Ichigo chase Horo Horo, who was completely terrified by the chasing.


	5. Interactions

**Chapter 5: Interactions**

"Zakuro-san." Ryu said as he walked over to her and politely bowed.

"What is it?" Zakuro asked slightly raising an eyebrow.

"I was wondering, Zakuro-san, if you would become my Shaman Queen?" He asked her as he took her hand.

"No." She replied; causing Ryu's jaw to hit the floor.

"N-N- No?" Ryu stuttered he was shocked by how quickly she answered.

"No." She repeated, taking her hand from him.

"But, Zakuro-san!" Ryu whined.

"Sorry, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now. Goodbye." Zakuro left and sat down on a nearby bench. Ryu was speechless. He put his hands over his teary eyes and ran, crying. While he was, though, he ran strait into a pole. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"No." Mint repeated for what must have been the 20th time already.

"Come on, it's great!" Yoh offered a bar of granola towards her.

"I said, NO!" Mint said hitting the granola from his hands. It landed in the cold, hard ground. Yoh was crushed.

"Gra- Gra- Granola ol' buddy?" Yoh stammered as he bent down and picked the dirty granola off of the ground. He brushed off some of the dirt. "You've been in my pocket for nearly a week…. AND THIS IS HOW IT ENDS?" Yoh yelled as he began to cry.

"YOH! What did I say about the pocketed granola?" said a female's voice from behind Mint. Mint turned and saw a young girl with a red bandanna and a short black dress.

"GRANOLA!" Yoh cried as he rubbed the granola on his cheek.

"Humph… Sorry about him, he's been like this since he was a child." The girl said.

"Um, who are you?" Mint asked raising an eyebrow.

"I am Anna, Yoh's fiancée." Anna said, "And who might you be?"

"I am Mint." Mint said, as she flipped her hair with her hand.

"GRANOLA!" Yoh cried.

"Yoh, get a pot, NOW!" Anna yelled pointing to a pot near a wall.

"ANNA! PLEASE NOT NOW!" Yoh said as his crying deepened.

"GET THAT POT AND SQUAT! HOLD IT!" Anna yelled.

"Fine…" Yoh surrendered and got the pot to squat with, for his training.

"Finally he is gone." Mint said sighing. She walked over to the bench where Zakuro was sitting. "Hello, Zakuro-Onee-Sama!" Mint said as she sat down next to Zakuro.

Just then, Faust and Eliza floated, literally, by holding hands and gazing into each others eyes, and continued on there clock-wise path through the area.

"Where is Lyserg?" Lettuce asked Ren who was watching his brother stare at Ichigo.

"He is gone. He joined sort of a cult, called the X-Laws." Ren answered, still looking bored while he watched the scene ahead.

"Oh…" Lettuce sighed as she walked away. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and a crowd of people in white ensembles stepped out of it. Among them, Lyserg.

"Lettuce?" He said as he stepped out from the crowd. They stood strait, not moving behind him.

"Lyserg?" Lettuce said as she took a nervous step backwards.

She spotted the crystal on his hand, that crystal that he attacked her with. All the memories flooded back to her. She was frightened, she took another step backwards. She felt faint and afraid. He raised his hand to try and comfort her, but he raised the wrong hand, the hand with the crystal. She trembled and her eyes were overflowing with fright. She felt very faint, like she was falling in a pool of terror. She began to step backwards faster and faster, but she tripped on a rock and began to fall.

She felt two hands catch her shoulders from behind. "Lettuce?" She heard a voice, it wasn't Lyserg's. It was much deeper. She looked behind her and saw a very familiar face.

"P-Pai?" Lettuce asked as he placed Lettuce back onto her feet. Lettuce slowly turned to face him.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he looked into her eyes for any sign of pain. He saw the fear in her eyes as the tears were barely being held back. Pai's eyes held concern like she had never seen. His eyelids lowered slightly. He put his arms around her and hugged her. She was totally shocked by this. Lettuce slowly closed her eyes and smiled a very small, happy smile.

"P-Pai…"

"Brother?" Jun yelled at Kishu.

"Oh, why, hello there Jun." Kishu replied turning to Jun.

"I've missed you so!" She yelled hugging him again.

"Yes Jun, me too, but right now I'm missing air more that anything." Kishu said trying to loosen Jun's grip.

"Oh, sorry brother!" Jun said letting him go. Pyron stood next to her.

"Hello Master Kishu." Pyron said politely bowing in a Chinese fashion.

"Oh, please, just Kishu." Kishu said smiling to Pyron.

"Yes, Kishu." Pyron said standing up strait.

"That's better," Kishu said smiling even more, "You don't have to be so formal with me, Pyron."

Ren stepped next to Kishu.

"So, these unanswered questions brother?" Ren asked turning to him.

"Ah, yes. How are you?" Kishu asked.

"How… How am I? How am I, brother? You came all the way here to ask me that?" Ren said, getting angry.

"Well, that, and I missed you brother." Kishu said ruffling Ren's hair. Ren grunted and crossed his arms before answering.

"I am fine, Brother."

"GOCHA!" Ichigo yelled as she grabbed Horo Horo by the Jacket.

"LEAVE ME ALONE YOU CRAZY GIRL!" Horo Horo screamed trying to pull away.

"No, I need to ask you something!" Ichigo whispered to Horo Horo. She leaned closer to Horo Horo's ear and whispered quieter. "I need you to help me make Kishu jealous." She said slowly.

"Jealous? You want me to help you make HIM jealous?" Horo Horo raised an eyebrow, "How the heck do you plan on doing that?" He asked her.

"Come on!" Ichigo said as she pulled Horo Horo toward Kishu. "See? I do love him, Kishu!" Ichigo said pointing to Horo Horo she leaned in for a kiss from Horo Horo, but he quickly jumped away from her.

"WHOA! WOHOA! WOHOA! PERSONAL SPACE!" Horo Horo yelled, miming an invisible bubble around himself.

"COME ON!" Ichigo yelled stomping her foot.

"NO WAY MAN! Kororo, BIG OVERSOUL!" Horo Horo yelled as Kororo became his Oversoul.

"You wanna play hard to get, huh?" Ichigo said getting into a fighting stance. "MEW ICHIGO, METAMORPHO-SIS!" Ichigo yelled as she transformed into her Mew form. "RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK!" She yelled, attacking him; he dodged.

"GO HORO HORO!" exclaimed Pirika, who was sitting on a bench watching her brother struggle, she thought it was good training.

"AVALANCHE!" Horo Horo yelled as he and Kororo attacked Ichigo with a huge avalanche of ice crystals, sharp as knives.

"AHH!" Ichigo screamed clenching her eyes shut and shielding herself with her hands. Just before the ice hit her, she was lifted off of the ground and into the air.

"Kitty, you really should try not to pick fights all the time. One day, I might not be here to save you." Said the voice of her savior. Ichigo opened her eyes and looked up at none other than Kishu. His face was about two inches from hers and he was smiling down at her with half closed eyes. Kishu landed on safe ground and placed Ichigo on her feet, facing him. Horo Horo stopped using his Oversoul and stood with his arms crossed, looking the other way angrily.

"Kishu! Why did you save me?" Ichigo asked stepping backwards.

"What, did you think I would let him freeze you, Kitty-cat?" Kishu said, grinning wider.

"Well, no, I guess not." Ichigo said quietly. Kishu took a step forward.

"Kitty, I think that you owe me a little something." Kishu said raising his eyebrows.

"Like what?" She said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Like a kiss." Kishu said taking another step forward so his face was less that an inch from hers.

"KISS?" Ichigo screamed; her ears and tail sticking strait up.

"Yes. I think even I deserve a little something for my accommodations." Kishu said showing his fangs in a smile.

"GROOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Ichigo screamed shoving him away from her.

Horo Horo could hardly hold in his laughter as he sat down next to his little sister.

"Oh you think that's funny, Horo? What if you were him? You are so insensitive." Pirika scowled.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You know what? Just because you are SO insensitive, do 20 laps around the hotel." Pirika said pointing to her left.

"WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY-"

"I SAID 20 LAPS MISTER!" she screeched hitting him on the head. Horo Horo immediately started to run.

"Now, now Kitty. No need to get rough. I'm just asking for a simple kiss on the cheek for saving you, fair?" Kishu said taking one step forward and making puppy dog eyes at Ichigo.

"No way! I'm so not going to kiss you, Kishu!" Ichigo yelled angrily.

"Please? It's just a simple kiss on the cheek, nothing that you wouldn't normally do to someone who just saved your life." Kishu said smiling.

"Well, if it's JUST between friends." Ichigo said quietly.

She slowly leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, but the smallest instant before her lips reached his cheek, Kishu turned his head and his lips met with hers. Ichigo pulled away almost instantly.

"ACK! EW! GROSS!" Ichigo said spitting on the ground and wiping her lips.

"Kitty, don't seem so grossed out, I know you liked it." Kishu said smiling.

"EWW! THAT WAS DISCUSTING! WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Ichigo screamed. Kishu laughed.

"Because the opportunity presented itself, Kitty-cat." Kishu grinned.

"I will never understand Brother." Ren said turning away from the sight of his brother kissing Ichigo.

"Oh, Renny yes you will!" Jun said smiling.

Ren glanced at Jun; she was standing awfully close to Pyron. Ren fully turned around and looked at his sister and her reanimated corpse, Pyron. They were…

"HOLDING HANDS?" Ren shouted at Jun and Pyron. Jun smiled wider at Ren.

"Yes Renny, a problem?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Bu-… he…. You… Wha… uh… cra… DEAD!" Ren managed to say


	6. Leaving For Now

**Chapter 6: Leaving For Now**

"What do you want to do to him?" Taruto asked.

"I don't know…" Pudding replied.

They were standing over a sleeping Chocolove. He had gone to sleep to try to allow himself to heal.

"I know." Pudding smirked kneeling next to him. She sucked in a breath of air, and then blew. Fire flew out of her mouth, and set his afro ablaze.

Chocolove immediately jumped up, screaming at the heat from his head.

"AHH! MY HAIR!" Chocolove screamed as he tried to put it out with his hands.

Pudding and Taruto just watched him try to put it out. Taruto began to chuckle, Pudding smiled and began to laugh as well. Chocolove rolled on the ground and finally managed to put out the blaze. He lay on the ground panting.

"Dude… I didn't think my fever was that high…" Chocolove said between breaths. He glanced to his left and saw to children caught in a fit of giggles. "What are you two laughing at?" Chocolove said angrily.

"You… your… HAIR!" Taruto managed to say between laughs.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?" Chocolove asked sitting up and grabbing bits of burnt hair.

"Well… You see…" Pudding began as she started to calm down. Taruto and she stood up, still giggling here and there. They used each others shoulders for support. "Well, I couldn't resist…"

"YOU SET MY HAIR ON FIRE! WHAT, ARE YOU SOME KIND OF INSAINE PYROMANIAC?" Chocolove screamed, then realized something, "Wait, how did you set my hair on fire?"

"Pudding breathed fire on your head." Taruto said as his laughs finally stopped.

"You… Breathed fire?" Chocolove asked, not believing. He suddenly broke out into laughing. "YOU? BREATHED FIRE! THAT'S A LAUGH!"

"Its true, Na no da." Pudding said looking down at him.

"How can a little girl breathe fire? Unless…" Chocolove stopped for a moment and looked suspiciously at Pudding. "You… Perform?" Chocolove asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Na no da!" Pudding said nodding.

"Wow. So young!" Chocolove said standing. "I'm Chocolove. And you are Pudding right?" Chocolove asked remembering when she introduced herself.

"Yeah, and this is Taruto." She said gesturing to Taruto. He lifted his hand and waved it once, then crossed his arms again. "Taru-Taru, be nice! Say hello, Na no da!"

"Fine… Hello." Taruto said looking bored.

"He's my best-est friend!" Pudding said smiling and putting her arm around Taruto and pulled him closer in a playful way.

"NU-UH!" Taruto yelled pushing her away.

"YEAH-HUH!" Pudding yelled back.

"NU-" Taruto started but was stopped by Chocolove.

"Would you two please keep it down, my head hurts." Chocolove said rubbing his head.

"Fine…" Pudding and Taruto said in unity.

Lyserg was speechless. He just stared at Lettuce and Pai. He slowly lowered his hand to his side and looked at the ground.

"Lettuce…" Lyserg whispered quietly to himself.

"Are you alright now, Lettuce?" Pai said softly into Lettuce's ear.

"Yes, thank you Pai-san." She said slowly taking a step back as they stopped hugging.

"Good, I was worried." Pai said, with a slight smile lighting up his features.

Lyserg felt a tear run down his cheek, but quickly brushed it away, not wanting to be seen crying in front of Jeanne and the rest of the X-Laws. In truth, he had fallen in love with Lettuce in their last encounter, when she had been hitting him with the broom, he had seen her face and fallen for her kind ways.

Marco came up from behind him, and rested his hand on his shoulder. "You loved that girl didn't you?" he said softly.

"What? How did you know?" asked Lyserg feeling his eyes blur with tears.

"I know the feeling. To love some one and to have them not return the feelings, to love another…it hurts, a lot." Marco said a sad smile on his face. "You have to move on, Lyserg. It's the only way you can get through the horrible pain you are feeling at this moment."

"Well, how can I do that? I mean, I really thought I loved her…" Lyserg said his eyes swelling up with tears again.

"I know it will be hard at first, but you will get through it Lyserg. I know you can." Marco said reassuringly.

"Thanks Marco, you're like a father figure. Like the father I had taken from me." Lyserg muttered bitterly, a sour thought of Hao streaking his mind for a brief moment.

"You are too young to worry about love my young friend. There will come a time where it will be important, but not now, so early in your life."

"Lyserg." Came a voice from inside the suit of the iron maiden.

"Yes Jeanne-sama?" replied Lyserg looking to her cold shell.

"We have come here for your reason, Lyserg. We must go now." she said calmly.

"Yes Iron Maiden Jeanne, I suppose, my reason for coming here was futile." He said looking at his feet. "I didn't even get a chance to tell her about being drug-free for almost a full month now…" he thought to himself, walking back through the bright light.

"Lyserg?" said Lettuce turning back to her friend. He was gone. "I wonder where he could have gone."

"Forget about him." came Pai's voice. "He is not important."

"Lyserg…" she whispered to herself as Pai took her away from the spot and towards Kishu.

Again, Faust and Eliza floated by, levitating off the ground, still in their same positions, and continued threw the town.

"Ah, hello Pai, Lettuce." Kishu said smiling.

"Hello Kishu, what have you done to her?" Pai asked referring to Ichigo kneeling on the ground with her hands over her mouth.

"Well, it was her own fault." Kishu said showing his teeth in a grin.

"YUCK!" Ichigo screamed spiting on the ground.

"Anyway, Pai, we must gather up and be on our way." Kishu said looking a little more serious, yet still slightly smiling.

"Yes, I suppose." Pai said as he walked over to the bench Mint and Zakuro were sitting at.

"What do you want?" Mint asked angrily.

"Kishu would like it if we were to gather up." Pai said frowning.

"Alright." Zakuro said standing up and walking to where Kishu was. Mint immediately followed after her.

Pai glanced around until her saw who he was looking for.

"You two kids are so weird…" Chocolove said fiddling with his burnt hair.

"You're the one wearing the skirt." Taruto said dully.

"HEY! Don't mock the skirt, man." Chocolove defended. "And look at you!" Chocolove said turning to Pudding. "What are you wearing?"

"It's a uniform." Pudding said lowering her eyebrows.

"YOU GO TO SCHOOL LIKE THAT?" Chocolove yelled.

"No. I WORK like this." Pudding said putting her hands on her hips.

"WERE THE HECK DO YOU WORK IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" Chocolove screamed.

"Café Mew Mew, Na no da." Pudding said getting annoyed.

"More like Café Puff Puff." Chocolove joked.

Pudding and Taruto froze with pity for that horrible joke. Just then, Pai walked over to them.

"Taruto, Pudding. Kishu would appreciate it if everyone were to gather up in one area, we are leaving." Pai said neutrally.

"FINALLY!" Taruto said levitating, "It's so boring here."

"And finally I can get some rest…" Chocolove said lying on the grass.

Pai and Pudding walked over to where Kishu was, Taruto floated.

"Alright, well, I knew we wouldn't stay very long here, I'll be seeing you Jun, Renny." Kishu said smiling.

Kishu extended his hand to Ren as if he were to shake Ren's hand. Ren hesitated then extended his hand to Kishu in return, but right before Ren reached Kishu's hand Kishu retracted it and grinned. Ren frowned.

"Bu-… you… my… hand…. Huh… wuh… Brother!" Ren managed to yell. Kishu laughed at Ren's speechlessness.

"Oh brother, you are so hilarious." Kishu said reveling his fangs in a grin.

"Wha-… Why?" Ren asked lowering his eyebrows.

"Because you don't even know it." Kishu laughed.

"I'll miss you Kish!" Jun said waving to Kishu.

"I will miss you as well, Jun." Kishu said waving in return.

"As much as I hate to get all mushy, Brother, I will miss you too." Ren said frowning.

"And I will miss you too, Brother." Kishu said smiling.

Kishu and his friend's teleported back to their dimension.


	7. Watching Over and Staying Over

**Chapter 7: Watching Over and Staying Over**

**In The Tokyo Mew Mew Dimension:**

"Here we are Kitty." Kishu said as they all appeared in the Café.

"Ew. Get way from me." Ichigo said as she took a few steps away from Kishu.

"Well, we really should be on our way, anyway." Kishu said as he levitated, "Goodbye, Kitty." He said to Ichigo, winking at her.

"LET ME GO!" Taruto yelled trying to break away from Pudding, who was holding his arm with both her hands.

"No! Stay and play with Pudding, Na no da!" Pudding yelled.

"Um…Pai-san?" said Lettuce shyly.

"Yes, Lettuce?" he replied.

"My um…birthday is tomorrow…I would like it if you could come…" she stuttered, turning bright red.

"Of course I will come, Lettuce." he said smiling.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Come along Pai, Taruto." Kishu said.

Taruto managed to break free of Pudding's grip, and floated next to Kishu, rubbing the red Indian-burn left by Pudding's tight grip on his arm. Pai joined them, and all at once, they disappeared.

"Um, Lettuce? Was it just me, or did you ask that, slimy alien to come to your birthday?" asked Ichigo crossing her arms.

"Yeah." She muttered back.

"THAT"S GREAT!" exclaimed Pudding. "YOU CAN BE BESTEST FRIENDS WITH HIM, TARUTO WILL BE BEST FRIENDS WITH ME, AND THEN…ICHIGO WILL BE BESTEST FRIENDS WITH KISH!"

"GROSS!" screamed Ichigo, suddenly feeling very dirty.

The Mew Mew's went up stairs and changed back into there normal clothes. After that, they went outside, and Zakuro locked the door.

"Well, goodnight you guys." Zakuro said starting to walk to her house.

"BYE ZAKURO! I'm going to call Driver." Mint said pulling out a cell phone. She dialed a number. "Driver, pick me up at the café." She then hung up the phone. As if he had been waiting behind the corner, a large limousine pulled up in front of the café, and a man got out and opened the door. Mint entered with a small wave of her hand to the rest of the Mew's. The driver got back in the front and the limo disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Pudding started to her house as well, skipping along the side walk. Lettuce headed off down the street dreamily thinking of Pai, and Ichigo started to her house on the run, afraid of Kishu finding her.

Ichigo was down to a jog, for she had been running for a full ten minutes. She was almost out of breath.

"I'll just…take a little rest to catch my breath…" she said to herself resting her hands on her knees and breathing deeply.

A cold breeze blew by her, and she was a little afraid.

"It's freaky out here…" she said continuing, but this time she was only walking. "I hate walking alone at night…"

Luckily she got home quickly. She closed the door quietly, for her parents would probably be asleep, and walked up to her room silently stepping every step. When she got to her room, it was dark. She walked in, and went to her dresser to grab her pajamas.

"ICHIGO, ICHIGO, ALIEN ALERT, ALIEN ALERT!" exclaimed Masha bobbing up and down in the air.

Ichigo spared a moment to look out the window, but no one was there. "Don't be silly, Masha. No one's out there." She grabbed her pajamas and turned on a lamp on her night stand.

"Oh, do you want me to leave while you change?" said a familiar voice behind her.

She quickly spun around to see Kishu sitting cross-legged on her bed flipping through her diary.

"ACK! KISHU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" exclaimed Ichigo dropping her pajamas on the floor.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood, and I just thought I'd drop by." Kishu explained casually, not looking up from the flipping the pages of her diary.

"GIVE THAT BACK!" she screamed grabbing the diary from his hands. "GET OUT!" she yelled in her loudest voice.

"Shh kitty-cat. You won't want to wake up your parents, would you?" said Kishu smiling.

As if on cue, she heard footsteps coming from the hallway outside her door.

"Oh no!" whispered Ichigo, her ears and tail ready to pop out at any moment. "You have to leave!" she said turning to her bed. Kishu was already gone.

"Ichigo?" said her father's voice from behind the door. It opened slowly. Ichigo scrambled to pick her clothes up off the floor.

"Yes?" she said, hearing her voice screech.

"Is everything alright? I heard screaming." Her father said looking around her room.

"No, nothing's wrong!" she replied frantically. "Just…getting ready for bed, and I, um, saw a spider."

"Ok, then, goodnight." He said closing the door.

"Phew." She sighed, relieved.

"You look just like your daddy, Ichigo." Kishu said from the window.

She turned to him angrily.

"What would you have done if he saw you?" she said, remembering to keep her voice down.

"I probably would have had to kill him." he said checking his nails.

"WHAT?"

"I'm just kidding kitty. I should leave though, good night. I'll see you later." He disappeared, leaving Ichigo alone in her room, her ears and tail popping out in rage.

Lettuce had gotten to her house quickly, for it was not to far away from the café. But four times, she could have sworn someone was behind her, following her to her house, but every time she looked, there was no one there. She went to her room, and pulled out her books. She had a big test the next day. She put her books on her desk, right next to the window.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone out the window, floating there. She quickly looked out, but no one was there.

"My eyes must be playing tricks on me…" she thought to herself, returning to her many open books.

A few minutes later, she thought she saw the image again, but still, no one was there.

"I could have sworn that was Pai-san." She thought wiping her glasses clean.

After that, she didn't see the image again.

It was of course, Pai who had been watching Lettuce. He had actually been worried about her walking home alone at night, and had followed her all the way to her house, and stayed a few extra minutes after she had gotten home, just to be sure. Pai flew on top of the house and sat on the roof.

"I wonder why I care so much about her…" Pai thought out loud.

"I know why." Said a familiar voice behind him. Pai turned around and looked at the figure.

"Hello, Kishu. What is it you want?" Pai asked as he turned to Kishu.

"Well, I saw you over here and wanted to know what you were doing. But, I have my answer." Kishu grinned.

"What do you mean, Kishu?" Pai asked lowering his eyebrows.

"I mean, you love her, am I right?" Kishu said grinning wider.

"Why would you think that?" Pai said cocking his head.

"Look at yourself; you're at her house right now sitting on her roof thinking about why you care so much about her." Kishu said in a serious tone.

"How…" Pai asked himself quietly as he fell silent for a second; he turned away from Kishu in thought. "Kishu?" Pai asked.

"Hmm?" Kishu replied.

"How do I… How do I know when I have fallen?" Pai asked staring up at the stars.

"Fallen?" Kishu inquired.

"Fallen… In love, Kishu." Pai asked still gazing at the sky. Kishu smiled a little.

"It's that feeling, Pai." Kishu said following Pai's gaze up into the dark night sky. Pai understood what Kishu meant.

Kishu and Pai fell silent in thought. Kishu teleported away, to leave Pai alone for a while. Pai was caught in deep contemplation over whether to go and talk to Lettuce, or to give her peace. He finally decided to just gaze at her on last time before he left for the night.

Pai slowly levitated off of the roof and beside Lettuce's window once more. He was hidden in the dark shadows of the trees. He gazed into the window to see Lettuce, asleep on her book. Pai teleported into her room and looked down at her. He slowly bent down and turned off her light. She did not even stir. He gently lifted Lettuce into his arms and slowly placed her on the comfortable bed, and gingerly laid a blanket over her. With one last gaze at her peaceful face, Pai teleported away, leaving Lettuce to sleep.

Taruto sat in a tree outside Pudding's house, watching her carefully.

"WE'RE HUNGRY!" Cried Puddings siblings.

"Don't worry, supper will be ready soon." Pudding said giving her siblings a very warm smile.

Pudding walked over to the oven and took out something wrapped in tinfoil. She unwrapped it slowly, reveling a delicious looking chicken.

"Look, its ready now, Na no da!" Pudding said as she placed the tinfoil in the trash.

"YAY!" Her siblings screamed as Pudding put the food on the table and cut it into small slices and placed it on their plates.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Pudding said as she began to leave the room.

"OKAY!" Her siblings said with their mouths full.

Pudding left the room, and out of Taruto's sight. He watched the room she left, in case she came back.

"Do you want to join us?" Said a voice right next to Taruto's ear, causing him to nearly fall out of the tree, but someone grabbed his hand before that happened.

"P-Pudding?" Taruto said as Pudding helped him sit upright again.

"Well, will you join us?" Pudding said smiling at him.

"I-I… why should I?" Taruto said crossing his arms.

"Because we're bestest friends, Na no da." Pudding said scooting closer to him.

"Bestest? Is that even a word?" Taruto asked raising an eyebrow. Pudding thought for a moment before replying.

"I don't know, probably not," Pudding said shrugging, "But it doesn't matter, let's go eat, Na no da!" Pudding said as she grabbed Taruto's arm and jumped out of the tree, taking him with her.

She ran into the house, dragging Taruto along with her, and into the dining room; where all of her five siblings sat eating the chicken. She sat him down in a chair next to hers and grabbed a plate for him.

"Who's that, Onee-Chan?" One of Pudding's siblings asked, referring to Taruto.

"This is Taruto." She said grinning.

"HI TARUTO ONII-CHAN!" They all yelled in unison.

"Uh… Hello." Taruto said waving nervously.

"No need to be shy, Taru-Taru!" Pudding said grinning wider.

Pudding grabbed some chicken on her fork and put it on Taruto's plate, then cut it into smaller pieces. She picked a piece up on his fork.

"What are you-" Before Taruto could finish his sentence, Pudding shoved the fork full of chicken into his mouth.

"What do you think, Na no da?" She asked smiling sweetly.

"It's… Fine…" Taruto managed to say with his mouth full of chicken.

After dinner all of Pudding's siblings had gone to bed and Taruto was sitting at the table finishing his last bite.

"So, Taru-Taru… It's late… Do you want to… Spend the night here?" Pudding asked, smiling warmly at Taruto. Taruto looked at her frowning.

"What?" Taruto raised an eyebrow.

"We can have a sleepover Na no da! We can stay up all night talking about-"

"No way!" Taruto snapped.

"Come on, I'll even sleep on the floor if that will make you feel better! It'll be fun, Taru-Taru!"

"It's Taruto." He said crossing his arms.

"Fine, Taruto, come on, we can get to know each other! I know we could be the best of friends if you just got to know me better Na no da!" Pudding said taking his hand and smiling at him with big twinkling eyes.

"… Fine…" Taruto capitulated with a sigh. "But no funny stuff, okay?"

"OKAY, NA NO DA!" Pudding yelled happily.

She started up the stairs, pulling him along with her. She opened a door to a big orange room with a light eggshell bed off to the right and purple dressers, along with a small purple table with flowers on it and a single window with a yellow frame. She pulled Taruto into the room and sat him on the bed. Then, she went to the closet and pulled out a folded up orange blanket and placed it on the floor. She sat down on it cross legged and looked up at Taruto.

"What do you want to talk about first, Taru-Taru?" Pudding asked cocking her head. Taruto thought for a moment as he lay down on the bed with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"I don't know." Taruto said dully. "Anything."

"Anything, Na no da?" Pudding asked raising an eyebrow.

"Within reason." Taruto added.

"Okay, let's talk about you." Pudding said grinning. "What do you like to do? Do you like to play games? What is your favorite game? Anything new that you want to talk about? What do you think about? What are you thinking right now? What do you think of Pudding? How many fingers am I holding up? Why-"

"What did that last question have to do with me?" Taruto asked opening his eyes and looking over at her.

"Nothing… I just wanted to see if you were listening, Na no da." Pudding said as she grinned wider, "Answer the questions Taru-Taru, Pudding wants to know!" Pudding said inching closer with big shining eyes.

"Fine…" Taruto said thinking about what she had said. "Uh… I like to make Chimera Anima… Um… I play some games, but I have no real favorites, except hide and seek, sometimes… Nothing really new with me, still trying to find Mew Aqua… Uh… what was the next question?" Taruto asked sitting up.

"What do you like to think about?" Pudding replied.

"Oh, I think about lots of things like my next scheme and what my next Chimera will be… Right now? I'm thinking about how bright this room is." Taruto said looking around." Taruto paused. "What was the question after that?" He asked.

"What do you think of Pudding, Na no da?" Pudding said with her smile growing.

"Well… I… I'm not sure…" Taruto stopped and thought for a moment. "Well, you're kind of annoying most of the time. And you're too happy. You act too much like we're best friends, we are enemies you know."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't be the best of friends too, Na no da!" Pudding said happily.

"Whatever, Can we go to sleep?" Taruto asked laying back down.

"Taru-Taru wants to sleep?" Pudding asked leaning towards him.

"Yes." He said closing his eyes.

"Oh… Okay…" Pudding said standing up and turning off the light.

She lay down on the ground and cover herself with the blanket. She yawned and looked over to Taruto.

"Nighty-Night Taru-Taru." Pudding said closing her eyes.

"Good night." Taruto replied relaxing.

Within minutes, Pudding had fallen asleep. Taruto opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He heard Pudding rustling on the ground and looked over at her. She was fast asleep with such an innocent look on her face, Taruto couldn't help but stare. Finally, he had fallen asleep as well.

"Aww, don't they look so adorable?" Kishu said smiling.

"What is he doing?" Pai asked looking down at the boy sleeping on the bed.

"Sleeping, Pai." Kishu replied looking down at him too.

Kishu raised an eyebrow at his sleeping comrade. Taruto turned onto his side in his sleep and grunted a little.

"What, who's there, Na no da?" Said a voice behind them.

Kishu and Pai turned around and saw a sleepy little girl sitting up on the floor staring at them. She rubbed her eyes to see more clearly.

"Oh, you're awake?" Kishu said looking down at her.

"Wha? Kishu, Pai?" Said Taruto as he awakened also.

"Ah, you're both awake then?" Pai said to both of them.

Pudding stretched her arms and stood. She ruffled her hair with her hands and sat on the bed next to Taruto.

"Have a good sleep, Na no da?" Pudding asked, smiling at him, her eyes still half closed in a sleepy way.

"Hmm…" Taruto grumbled as he shrugged. Then, he shot his glance over to Kishu and Pai, "What are you guys doing here!"

"We were looking for you." Pai said flatly.

"Why?" Taruto asked as he looked out the window, it was pitch black; all the stars shining in the sky.

"We wondered where you might be." Kishu said grinning.

"Taru-Taru is spending the night here with Pudding, Na no da!" Pudding said happily as her smile grew wider.

"Spending the night? Wow, I was only in Ichigo's room for a few minutes, yet you get invited to stay all night? What is your secret?" Kishu asked showing his fangs in a very wide grin.

"Shut up." Taruto said angrily crossing his arms.

"Okay, okay. We should go, and leave you two alone." Kishu said laughing.

Kishu and Pai teleported away, leaving Pudding and Taruto. Pudding moved closer to Taruto and rested her head on his shoulder sleepily. Taruto pushed her away.

"Hey, Hey! That's my personal space!" Taruto yelled.

"Okay Taru-Taru, Pudding will sleep on the floor." Pudding said lying down on the blanket that was laid on the floor.

Again, they fell asleep for the night.


	8. Something of Jun and Pyron?

**Chapter 8: Something of Jun and Pyron?**

**In The Shaman Dimension **

The sky had darkened into the night and all the stars had begun to show themselves once more. It had been hours after Kishu and his friends left.

"Man, you feeling any better?" Horo Horo asked Chocolove, who was lying in bed.

"A little, my head is killing me, dude…" Chocolove said resting his hand on his forehead.

"I've been meaning to ask, what exactly happened to your hair?" Ren asked raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, man, it was those weird little kids, the monkey and the alien; they set me on fire dude." Chocolove said closing his eyes.

"Dude," Horo Horo said scratching his head, "Those people from that dimension are so weird, man."

"Hmm, I suppose." Ren said closing his eyes and leaning against a wall.

"Ren?" Said a voice from the doorway.

"Oh, hello Jun." Ren said opening one eye and looking at her.

"Renny, I'm going out to get some groceries with Pyron at the all night store, is there anything you would like me to pick up?" Jun asked.

"Hmm…. No thank you, Jun." Ren said closing his eyes again.

"Is anything wrong, Renny?" Jun asked stepping closer.

"No, Jun, nothing is wrong, I'm just tired." Ren said quietly.

"Oh, alright then Renny. " Jun said as she turned and left.

"Stop hiding and show yourself Hao." Ren said still with his eyes closed.

"Ren, how have you been?" Came a voice from outside the window. Everyone turned and looked; Hao climbed up and stood on the windowsill.

"What do you want, Hao?" Ren said angrily.

"For you to be my friend." Hao said coming inside.

"No." Ren said simply.

"I'm not asking." Hao said grinning evilly.

"Dude, why do you want Ren to be your friend so badly, man?" Horo Horo asked Hao.

"Because, he is the strongest of my brother's friends, he would be a very useful friend to have, and I would have an easier time defeating you all." Hao grinned wider.

"Well, I'm not going to become your friend." Ren said frowning angrily.

"Why not?" Hao said getting annoyed.

"Because I'm not stupid, as soon as you become shaman king, you'll throw me out like an old pair of shoes." Ren said opening his eyes and looking at Hao.

"Hmm... You will join me." Hao muttered angrily. As he left through the window in which he had come. The sky beyond the window was dark and full of stars.

"I'm leaving, I need to go train. I will slice a few trees in the forest and return in a short while, perhaps." Ren said as he left the room.

"Uh, bye dude." Horo Horo said waving.

Jun and Pyron were walking to the store, hand in hand. Jun looked up with a smile at Pyron. He smiled back down at her.

"Pyron?" Jun asked as her pace began to slow.

"Yes, Miss Jun?" Pyron replied, slowing down with her.

"I just wanted to say thank you for not holding my past against me, the way I treated you was all because of father, again I'm sorry." Jun said looking down.

"Do not worry about it, Miss Jun, I do not blame you. This is who you are and have always been, behind the cruel stone wall that your father had built around you for so much of your life." Pyron said glancing at the stars.

"Thank you, Pyron. And please call me Jun." Jun said looking up at him, the stars reflecting from the sky into her eyes.

"As you wish, Jun." Pyron said staring down at her, with a smile on his face.

"You look better when you smile, Pyron." Jun said resting her head against his arm and closing her eyes.

"Do I?" Pyron asked as he watched her.

"Yes, it is much better than seeing you frown all the time." Jun replied.

"And I'm sorry… Jun… That I am so cold. Being dead has some disadvantages." Pyron said still staring at her.

"You don't feel cold to me, Pyron." Jun said as she opened her eyes and looked up at him; her head still against his arm.

"What do you mean?" Pyron asked.

"You feel warm to me. You could only feel cold to me if your spirit was cold, Pyron. But yours feels warm. And I like it." Jun said closing her eyes once again and wrapping her arm around his and walking a little closer to him.

"You really think so?" Pyron asked shyly.

"Yes, Pyron, I really do." Jun said happily.

"I may be dead, but I can feel you too, Jun. But I don't like it," Pyron said touching her arm with his hand, "I love it."

Hao went to the waterfall; he was looking for Ren to become his friend. He needed comrades his present comrades weren't strong enough, he was willing to make a deal. Then, in the depths of the woods he came across young Ren practicing with his sword and training real hard. Hao jumped up on a sliced tree stump and said,

"Renny let me tell you what, you might not know but I'm a good swordsman too, and if you'd want to fight with me I'll make a bet with you. Now your pretty good with a sword, Renny, but don't underestimate me, if you win I'll leave but if I win I'll get your friendship, because I think I'm better than you."

Ren said "My name is REN and it might not be smart, but ill take that challenge because I know I'm better than you."

Ren raised his sword and upped his guard because he knew that this would be though. He knew to fight with his entire all because Hao is intensely strong. If he won Hao would get off his back but if he lost he'd have to fight alongside him. Hao unsheathed a sword that Ren didn't know he had and leapt from his stump.

"I'll make the first move." Hao said as he lunged at Ren with his sword ahead and aimed it right for Ren's grip, but Ren swatted him off like a bug.

Hao growled and came at Ren again, sword held strong. Again and again Hao struck at Ren, only to be blocked off defensively quicker that Hao could strike. Soon Hao was angrier than he thought he would be but grinned maniacally with eyes of fire. He struck once more but with no success. Ren grinned back and him.

"Well, you're not to bad Hao, but just try to keep up as I show you what I do." Ren grinned wider.

He came at Hao with the speed at which he blocked, striking at every inch, until finally Hao's sword flew sky high. Hao watched as it twirled in the air, his anger growing stronger with every spin. Just as Hao turned to Ren again, he was struck to the ground, with Ren's sword's hard side. Hao frowned and glanced up at Ren, who was showing his teeth in the grin he stole from Hao, and his sword to Hao's throat.

Hao bowed his head because he knew that he had been beat, and he stood back up to his truly aching feet. Hao began to take his leave from there when he was stopped by Ren's taunting words.

"Hao you can come back if you ever want to try to beat me again, because I told you once, Hao, I know I'm better than you." Ren said grinning wider.

Hao left the forest angrily with his spirit of fire. Hao glanced back, and smiled evilly.

"But now that I know how much of a good swordsman he is, I need him to be my even friend more." Hao said chuckling to himself.

"REN! Finally you're back, we were worried sick, Granola?" Yoh offered.

"No thank you." Ren said politely pushing the granola away.

"Man, what took you so long, dude?" Horo Horo asked Ren.

"I got in a little swordfight." Ren replied.

"Man, a swordfight? With who, dude?" Horo Horo asked leaning closer.

"Hao." Ren said simply.

"My brother?" Yoh said angrily, "He didn't try to give you beef jerky, did he?"

"No, but he's not a very good swordfighter." Ren said crossing his arms.

"So, man, like, did you win?" Horo Horo asked cocking his head.

"Of course." Ren said glancing at him.

"Man, that's a relief, Dude." Horo Horo said sighing.

"Say, where are my sister and Pyron?" Ren asked looking around the room and not seeing them.

"They haven't come back yet." Yoh said eating some granola.

"Really, I would have figured them to get here before me." Ren said inquiring where they could be.

Suddenly, they heard giggling from the hallway.

"That sounds like…" Ren began narrowing his eyes.

They all looked toward the door to see Jun and Pyron, carrying one shopping bag each; and with their free arms, they wrapped them around the other's arm and they held hands.

"J-J-JUN! P-P-PYRON?" Ren stammered as they entered the room.

"Oh, hello Renny." Jun said happily.

"But… You… He… Hands... Holding… uh… um… arms… together… Pyron… dead… sister… corpse… here… now… wha… cra… JUN!" Ren yelled pointing at her.

"Master Ren, you seem quite startled." Pyron said looking up from Jun and over to Ren with a look of worry.

"OH, AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO?" Ren yelled angrily.

"No, Renny, your not." Jun said frowning and looking at Ren with concern.

"WELL I AM!" Ren yelled uncrossing his arms and turning completely to Jun and Pyron with shock in his eyes.

"Jun, did we do something that upset Master Ren?" Pyron asked looking over at her.

"Maybe he just afraid to see his sister with a man; he is probably just a little scared." Jun said smiling up at Pyron.

"JUN! Why are you holding Pyron's hand?" Ren asked trying to calm down.

"Because I want to, Renny." Jun said leaning slightly closer to Pyron.

"Yes, Jun and I just want to hold hands, Master Ren. I am sorry if this upsets you." Pyron said calmly.

"Jun? You're on a first name basis?" Ren asked, with shock still in his voice.

"Yes, Renny, we are." Jun said simply.

"But… You… Him…" Ren muttered.

Finally, he stopped muttering and went up to bed for the night, as did everyone else.


	9. Lettuce san, Marry Me

**Chapter 9: Lettuce-san, Marry Me**

**In The Tokyo Mew Mew Dimension:**

Mint had arrived at the café first, since she was just a limo drive away. She was sitting at a table drinking tea when Zakuro walked in.

"Hello, Mint." She said as she waved to her.

"Hello Zakuro Onee-sama!" Mint said admiringly.

Zakuro went upstairs to get changed into her café uniform. Suddenly, the door swung open, and both Lettuce and Ichigo were standing in the door way, panting.

"What, did you run here?" Mint asked putting her tea on the table.

"Yeah… We… Did…" Ichigo said between breaths.

"Oh. Well, you better go get changed into your uniforms then, oh and by the way, Happy Birthday Lettuce." Mint said sipping her tea once again.

"Thank you…" Lettuce said as she and Ichigo went upstairs.

A moment or two later they returned, in their uniforms along with Zakuro.

"Hey, work has started already and Pudding's not here. Has anyone seen her?" Zakuro asked glancing at each of her friends, who all shook their heads.

All of a sudden, the door burst open and there stood Pudding, holding in one hand Taruto's hand. He was completely out of breath and had a toothbrush hanging out of one side of his mouth that said in fancy writing, '_Pudding_.'

"Sorry Pudding's late guys, she had to wake Taru-Taru up and show him how to use a toothbrush, Na no da." Pudding said entering the café, dragging Taruto with her.

"Da weast yo couwd dwo iz wet mee fwinis." Taruto said with the toothbrush hanging out of his mouth still.

"Sorry, Taru-Taru, Pudding was going to be late." Pudding apologized.

"What is _HE_ doing here?" Ichigo asked angrily.

"Because he is Pudding's best friend." Pudding said smiling.

"… Gross…" Ichigo whined, "And why is he using your toothbrush anyway?"

"Because he doesn't have one, Na no da." Pudding replied.

"Ew! Are you still thinking of using it after he had it in his mouth." Ichigo said taking a step back disgusted.

"Why not, Na no da?" Pudding asked cocking her head.

"GROSS!" Ichigo screamed.

"Here." Taruto said as he finished brushing his teeth and he handed the toothbrush to Pudding.

"Thanks, Taru-Taru!" Pudding said happily.

"It's Taruto…" Taruto said angrily.

Pudding wiped the toothbrush off once briefly with her shirt, then suddenly she had a tube of toothpaste and squeezed a little on the toothbrush.

"You're not going to do what I think you're going to do, are you?" Ichigo said; her eyes as wide as globes.

"What would that be, Na no da?" Pudding asked, just before plopping the toothbrush right into her mouth.

"T-That…" Ichigo said with her mouth agape.

Pudding still didn't know why Ichigo was so freaked out, and began to brush her teeth. Taruto tried to pull away from Pudding, who was still holding onto his hand, but not with much luck.

"Let me go!" Taruto said still trying to break free.

"Nu-Uh! Puwding wansh Tawo-Tawo two shtay wid hewr!" Pudding said with the toothbrush still in her mouth.

"But I have to go see and Kishu and Pai; they are probably wondering why I'm not there yet!" Taruto whined.

Pudding finally removed the toothbrush from her mouth and ran into the kitchen, with Taruto, to spit out her toothpaste and wash her toothbrush. Within ten seconds or less, she ran back out, dragging an annoyed Taruto with her.

"Okay, bye-bye Taru-Taru! Pudding will miss you! But before you go, give Pudding a hug, Na no da!" Pudding said happily.

Before Taruto could say no, Pudding pulled him by the hand towards her and locked him in a tight friendly hug.

"Hey!" Taruto said trying to push her away.

Finally she let go of him and waved goodbye as he teleported away. All the Mews started work for the day.

That night Lettuce, Ichigo, Mint, Zakuro and Pudding were all sitting at a table in the café. In the center of the table was a huge birthday cake with Lettuce's name on it, and several candles ablaze.

"Happy Birthday Lettuce!" Everyone said together.

Lettuce blew out all of her candles at once, as her friends clapped their hands. Lettuce smiled at how nice this was. Only one thing was missing.

"What did you wish for?" Mint asked leaning closer.

"I can't say." Lettuce said grinning shyly.

Outside, Pai, Kishu and Taruto watched the Mews celebrate. Pai couldn't take his gaze away from Lettuce. He smiled a small sad smile.

"Go inside." Kishu said to Pai.

"Yeah, we know you want to." Taruto said tauntingly.

"Hmm…" Pai thought for a moment, he suddenly felt an odd, mysterious tug that helped him in deciding.

In the café, everyone was laughing and having a good time. Lettuce was smiling and eating some cake with her friends.

"Lettuce-san." A voice from behind Lettuce said.

"Pai-san?" Lettuce said quietly, as she turned and looked at him.

"Happy Birthday." He said simply.

"Thank you, Pai." Lettuce replied with a smile.

"Hello, Kitty-cat." Kishu said appearing next to Ichigo's ear, with his arm around her neck.

"KISHU!" Ichigo screamed, almost falling off the chair in surprise.

"Yes, it's good to see you too." He replied grinning.

"Get away!" She yelled, pushing him away from her.

"Oh, playing hard to get?" Kishu asked raising an eyebrow.

"EW!" She screamed back at him.

"Oh come now, I know you like me." Kishu said stepping closer.

"I DO NOT!" She shouted, standing.

"Yes you do, and you know it. Now, give me a kiss." Kishu said coming closer.

Ichigo ran around him and hid behind a table. He levitated into the air and followed her, kneeling down beside her with a grin plastered on his face.

"AH!" She yelled, as she began to run again, coming to a wall. She stopped just before she ran into it and turned around.

"Aw, don't be like that Kitty." Kishu said pouting his lip.

"STAY BACK!" She screeched, waving her hand in the air threateningly.

"You would want that…" Kishu said, the grin returning to his face.

Kishu floated over to her, until he was about a foot away. His grin widened.

"YES I WOULD!" Ichigo yelled; a little scared.

He floated a little closer and placed his hand on her chin, slowly raising it. She didn't move at all, she just stood there staring. His eyelids slid half shut as he moved closer to her; his lips almost touching hers. His eyelids slid back open and he smiled; showing his teeth. Gently he let her chin slip out of his hand and floated slightly backwards.

"No, I won't ruin this night for Pai." Kishu said, landing on the ground.

"W-What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, still a little scared.

"Pai is here to do something nice for Lettuce, and he asked me nicely not to ruin it for him." Kishu said shrugging.

Kishu took a step closer to Ichigo.

"But it wasn't easy." He whispered into her ear.

He grinned again, slowly took her hand, and floated with her to where she was previously sitting. He sat down in an empty chair next to her and smirked.

"Let go of me," Ichigo said pulling her hand away from him and turning away, "And what do you mean something nice for Lettuce?"

"Well, I can't say exactly, Pai didn't give me all the juicy details, but I know it's probably not something to be worried about." Kishu said resting his arms on the table.

"Probably?" Ichigo questioned.

"Well, Pai is a pretty hard guy to read. But I know he's got some kind of affection for your friend." Kishu replied, glancing at them.

"Are you serious?" Ichigo asked, turning to him.

"Of course, all of us aliens seem to do things like that." Kishu said sitting up strait and looking over at Ichigo.

"Not him." Ichigo said turning to Taruto; who was running as fast as he could, with Pudding running after him yelling 'Stop running Taru-Taru!'

"Hmm? You can't see it?" Kishu said, sort of surprised.

"See what?" Ichigo asked, looking closer at the two.

"Taruto just wants to seem tough, make it seem like he hates her. But he doesn't." Kishu said grinning at Ichigo.

"Hmm…" Ichigo grunted, looking closer, "Wait, did he just slow down?" Ichigo asked, leaning back and raising an eyebrow; Taruto slightly slowed down, what looked a lot like he did it intentionally, and Pudding caught him in a tight hug which almost knocked him over.

"Yes, you see? I told you so." Kishu said laughing a little.

"Okay, so you Aliens sort of like us, what does that matter?" Ichigo said crossing her arms and looking back at Kishu.

"Well, why don't we just watch?" Kishu suggested, turning his chair to the direction of Pai and Lettuce.

Pai was standing next to Lettuce, who was sitting in a chair across the table from Ichigo and Kishu.

"Lettuce-san, I'm sorry I am late." Pai apologized, bowing his head in respect.

"It's alright, Pai-san." Lettuce said kindly.

"Thank you, and how have you been, may I ask?" Pai asked.

"I have been fine." Lettuce replied, "What about you?"

"Just thinking a lot, I suppose." Pai said staring into her eyes. Her glasses made her eyes look large, and twinkled and sparkled with the light of the chandelier.

"Really, about what?" Lettuce asked shyly.

"About many things." Pai said softly, "I was in the city, and I was observing the humans, when I saw something interesting. There were these two people in the park, and the male got down on one knee and asked the female something special. I have studied human culture, and all about marriage, but I have never seen someone ask someone else. There was this look in the female's eye; it was like pure happiness, Lettuce-san." Pai paused for a moment, "I want you to have that same look."

Pai slowly got down on one knee and took out a small black box and raised it.

"Lettuce-san, marry me." Pai said in a hushed tone.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared, not knowing what else to do at a moment like this. Pai stared up at Lettuce, who stared back at him; she was shocked, but happy at the same time.

She had received her wish.

'_I wish that Pai-san were here, and that we could be together.'_


	10. Plans

**Chapter 10: Plans**

**In The Tokyo Mew Mew Dimension: **

"M-Marry you?" Lettuce stuttered, in a daze.

"Yes, Lettuce-san, I ask of you for your hand." Pai said calmly opening the black box, reveling a ring that looked like it was from another planet; it was a steel blue ring with shimmering silver edges and a beautiful deep green gem that sparkled in the light.

"I-I-I…" Lettuce was speechless.

"Please accept my proposal." Pai encouraged.

"I-I-I…" lettuce paused. "I will."

Pai smiled and stood up to her level. He took her hand in his and gently slid the ring onto her finger; it shone brightly for a second as it slowly slipped onto her left ring finger.

"Lettuce-san, the ring on your finger is from my planet," Pai took her hand in his, "The silver, green and blue represent the combination of the silver clouds, our green planet, and the blue sky. For eternity." Pai said softly.

"Oh, Pai-san." Lettuce said wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"You're…. You're marrying him!" Ichigo yelled, in shock, "But you're so young!"

"Yes, but on our planet you can get married at a younger age then you can here, so this is normal for us." Kishu said smiling.

"But-But-But," Ichigo stammered, "He's an Alien!"

"Yes, I know. But I do want to be with him, Ichigo, despite that." Lettuce said quietly, as she hugged Pai tighter.

"Lettuce-san, we are to be wed the day following tomorrow." Pai informed her.

"So soon?" Lettuce questioned.

"Yes, that is how long it should take to get prepared, correct? We will be married here, at the café." Pai announced, taking a small step back to look at Lettuce.

"If that is what you want to do, then that is what will be done." Lettuce said smiling.

"I'm sure that we will need more to attend, don't you think?" Kishu asked Pai and Lettuce.

"Yes, I suppose." Pai said, understanding what he was suggesting.

"Very good, I'm sure my brother and his friends would love to see this. It will be nice for them to visit once again, we should get more acquainted." Kishu said teleporting away.

"THEM!" Ichigo yelled.

"Yes, it will be better to have more people at our wedding; six accompanists is hardly a wedding." Pai said shrugging.

"Yes, BUT THEM!" Ichigo screamed.

"Who else is there that knows about me being an alien and wouldn't ask questions about my ears? And why we are getting married so young?" Pai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"…Point taken…" Ichigo agreed.

"I will have three bridesmaids, Ichigo, Mint, and Zakuro." Lettuce said glancing at them.

"And I will have three groomsmen, Kishu, that Pyron that I have now made alliance with, and I suppose Kishu's little brother." Pai said neutrally.

"WHAT ABOUT US?" Pudding and Taruto yelled at the same time.

"You two are too young to be a bridesmaid or groomsman. I suppose you could be a flower girl and a ring barer." Pai said turning to them.

"… Fine…" Taruto said angrily.

"YAY! Pudding and Taru-Taru will the best flower-throwing and ring-baring duo ever, Na no da!" Pudding said grinning and resting her arm on Taruto's shoulder.

Suddenly, Kishu returned along with Ren, Jun, Pyron, Horo Horo, Yoh, Ryu, and Chocolove.

"Dude…I will never get used to that…" Horo Horo said in a daze.

"What was that for brother, why did you take us to your dimension?" Ren asked, turning to Kishu angrily.

"Well Renny, Pai and Lettuce's wedding was going to be far too small, so they invited you." Kishu said smiling.

"Pai and Lettuce are getting married?" Jun asked.

"Yes." Kishu said turning to her.

"But they are so young." Ren said looking over at them.

"Yes, but on our planet, not this one we are on now, the one that Pai, Taruto and I come from, you can get married at any age." Kishu said grinning wider.

"Well, I suppose that is just great!" Jun said happily, "When is the wedding?"

"The day that follows tomorrow." Kishu answered.

"Not very much time, but I'm sure it will all work out!" Jun said smiling.

"I may need some help, though." Lettuce said shyly.

"I'll help!" Mint said raising her hand.

"I guess I will too." Zakuro said raising her hand as well.

"I guess if this is really happening, being your friend I will help." Ichigo said reluctantly.

"PUDDING WILL!" Pudding yelled raising both of her hands.

"And I will too." Jun said, joining them in raising hands.

"We'll meet here at the café tomorrow at 8:00, I guess." Lettuce said quietly.

"Oh, yes, and we will have to rent Tuxedos as well, Pai." Kishu said turning to Pai.

"Yes, I presume." Pai agreed.

"Brother, where do you suppose we sleep?" Ren asked looking up at Kishu.

"I'm sure that one of these mew mews has a nice house with enough rooms for you and all of your friends, Renny." Kishu said, just at that second, everyone turned to Mint.

"Fine, they can stay with me…" Mint agreed.

Mint suddenly took out her cell phone and dialed a number at incredible speed. She held it up to her ear.

"Yes, driver? Could you please get the stretch and meet me outside the café, we have some guests staying with us this evening, and perhaps tomorrow as well." Mint said hanging up her cell phone and putting it in her pocket. She turned to her mew friends, "I'll see you guys tomorrow, alright?"

They nodded. Mint gestured for her guests to follow her outside, they did so. Waiting out there as if it had been for hours was a stretch limousine with a man in a deep blue uniform holding the door for them.

"WOAH DUDE!" Horo Horo yelled in shock.

"Come on, let's go." Mint said walking toward the limousine.

They all got into the limousine, Ren and Jun didn't seem so impressed since they themselves are of the Tao family, a rich and powerful family.

"Driver, home please." Mint said as the driver got into the front seat.

"Yes, Miss Aizawa." The driver said pulling away from the café.

"WOW, you got a bar back here!" said Horo Horo searching through the back seat.

"Don't touch it Horo Horo, you remember what happened last time." Ren said pulling him into the seat.

Horo Horo remembered waking up in a daze in the middle of a carnival, wearing a tube top and a tutu, little children poking him with sticks and the parents pulling the young ones away and telling them not to look him in the eye. He shuddered at the thought.

**At the Aizawa House:**

"DUDE, THIS PLACE IS HUGE, MAN!" Horo Horo yelled, seeing her house.

"Hmm..." Ren said looking up at it.

"Let's just go, dinner should be ready." Mint said walking into the house, followed by everyone else.

They walked into a huge dining room with a table set for 20, and above it, a gigantic chandelier that had to have been worth thousands. Everyone sat down at the table as ten maids and ten butlers came in carrying plates of food that looked like it was for royalty. Chocolove and Horo Horo's mouths filled up with saliva as they stared at the steaming plate of roast. Yoh couldn't turn away from the large bowl of rice with vegetables all around it.

"Give them what they require please." Mint said to the maids and butlers.

The maids and butlers placed the food in the middle of the table and allowed them to get what they wanted from it. Horo Horo jumped onto the table and started eating from almost everything, Chocolove followed. Yoh took some vegetables and rice and started eating it. Ryu was devouring a drumstick of chicken, with little bits and pieces flying everywhere. Ren and Jun casually took some pieces of chicken, peas, rice and some vegetables and ate them in a civilized manor. It didn't take long for the dinner to be eaten by everyone, until there was not a scrap left.

"That was a quite refreshing dinner, much better than the scraps of half cooked trash contents that we get fed in Patch Village." Ren said as he finished.

"Thank you, sir." A butler said as he took Ren's plate.

"Now then, if you please, would you show our guests to their rooms?" Mint asked one of the butlers.

"Yes, Miss Aizawa." The butler replied.

Horo Horo, Yoh, and Chocolove jumped up from their seats and kicked their chairs in. Ryu stood and stretched before almost shoving his chair in. Pyron never sat, he simply stood next to Jun; since he cannot eat there was no need for him to sit. Both Jun and Ren took napkins and wiped their faces, removed the fabric napkins from their laps, got up slowly, and tucked their chairs in respectfully.

After dinner, Mint's butler showed them to their individual rooms upstairs. They were huge rooms brightened by the fancy chandeliers that hung from the roofs of each person's room. It was like a fancy hotel.

**At Pudding's House:**

"Okay Taru-Taru, we need to figure this all out." Pudding said closing the door to her room, as Taruto sat on her bed.

"Figure what out?" He asked, looking over at her.

"The plan, silly, Na no da!" Pudding said sitting down next to him.

"Plan? For what?" Taruto asked, confused.

"The wedding, you know how boring those things are. Listen, tomorrow when we are all out getting everything ready for the wedding, you got to sneak off at about 12:00, okay? Meet Pudding here at her house, got it? We'll figure it out from there, Na no da." She said, leaning closer to Taruto.

"So, you want to do something without any one else knowing anything about it?" Taruto asked raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, it'll be fun, Na no da!" Pudding said smiling happily.

"Finally we're doing something I want to do." Taruto said grinning evilly.

"But nothing to evil, okay Taru-Taru? We don't want to make Lettuce Onee-Chan and Pai-san angry on their wedding day, alright?" Pudding asked.

"Okay, nothing seriously bad I guess…" Taruto said crossing his arms.

"It HAS to be something that makes the wedding even better, don't forget, Na no da." Pudding added.

"Fine…" Taruto said sighing, "We'll figure it all out tomorrow."

Taruto teleported away, leaving Pudding alone in her room. She crawled onto her bed and went to sleep.


	11. Dresses, Tuxedos, and Balloons

**Chapter 11: Dresses, Tuxedos, and Balloons**

**At The Café:**

Mint's stretch limousine pulled up to the side of the café and let everyone out. It was exactly 8:00am.

"Thank you for the lift, driver." Mint said as she got out of the limousine.

"You are certainly welcome, Miss Aizawa." The driver replied.

"Can you wait here; my friends and I might need a lift." Mint said to the driver.

"Certainly." He answered, tipping his hat to her.

Everyone else was waiting outside the café for them to arrive.

"Okay, we have to get this planed out, come on, let's go inside." Lettuce said turning and walking into the café.

They all followed her into the café, where Ryou and Keiichiro were waiting, sitting on two chairs.

"Uh, we are all going to need the day off today." Ichigo said nervously.

All of the mews had forgotten that they worked today, and that Ryou and Keiichiro would be expecting them to do so.

"Oh? And why would that be?" Ryou asked angrily.

"Well, we have to get prepared for this wedding… You two should come along." Lettuce answered shyly.

"Who's wedding?" Ryou asked, standing up.

"Well… Mine and Pai's." Lettuce said fidgeting.

"You're getting married, TO PAI!" Ryou screamed.

"We'll be there." Said Keiichiro, smiling in his usual warm way.

"What do you mean? Aren't you concerned?" Ryou said turning to Keiichiro.

"Yes, but this is entirely Lettuce's decision. Not ours, we can't stop her." Keiichiro said looking up at Ryou, "Let's give them the day off."

"Fine… When is the wedding?" Ryou asked, looking to Lettuce.

"Pai and I decided it to be at 7:00 tomorrow evening." Lettuce said smiling.

"Very well then, you can have the day off." Ryou said sighing reluctantly.

"Thank you." Lettuce said respectfully.

"Well now, Kishu, Taruto, Ren, all of his friends, and I will go to the Tuxedo shop to find something nice to each wear." Pai said as he began to leave.

All who he had mentioned followed him outside, and he teleported them all to the nearest Tuxedo shop, which he had found earlier that day.

"Okay, then we will all go to the wedding store in the city to find some dresses for the wedding." Lettuce said as she and all of the girls left.

The girls took a ride in Mints limousine to the best wedding dress store in all of Tokyo.

"What do you think of this?" Zakuro asked, holding up a beautiful white wedding gown that suited Lettuce to the last strand.

"I like it." Lettuce said smiling and taking the dress from Zakuro to examine it closer, before going into the change room to change.

"We have to find some bridesmaids gowns, you guys." Ichigo said to them.

"Okay, let's go." Mint said as her, Ichigo and Zakuro went to the bridesmaids section.

"What do you think?" Lettuce said as she came out of the change room.

"It looks beautiful." Jun said smiling.

"Yeah, It's really nice, Na no da!" Pudding said happily.

"Thanks." Lettuce said shyly.

By 10:30, everyone had found a dress that they liked. They were sitting in the limousine thinking about where to go next.

"We need to find some entertainment." Ichigo suggested.

"I have it covered." Zakuro said taking out her cell phone and pushing speed dial and number 6. "Hello? Hey, it's Zakuro. Lettuce needs some entertainment do you think you can play the piano for her Keiichiro? Thanks, bye." Zakuro said hanging up her phone.

"Keiichiro?' Lettuce asked.

"He is very good at the piano, it will be good. Trust me." Zakuro said turning to her.

"Really? Thank you, Zakuro!" Lettuce said smiling.

"No problem." Zakuro said smiling back.

"What do we do now?" Ichigo asked.

"We need some food, don't we?" Jun asked.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot." Lettuce said.

"Driver, find the best catering place in town." Mint said to the driver.

"Yes, Miss Aizawa." The driver said as he drove off.

**At The Tuxedo Shop:**

"You look fantastic, Pai." Kishu said giving him a thumbs up.

"Thank you." Pai said, looking down at his pure white Tuxedo with a black bowtie, "Now then, we must find Tuxedo's for all of you." Pai said looking at them.

"Alright, dude." Horo Horo said looking around the store, something caught his eye.

He ran towards it and grabbed it off of the rack, it was a sky blue suit with a white collar and top hat, and it looked really fancy.

"Yeah man!" He yelled running to the change room.

"Hey, those look cool." Yoh said as he and Chocolove went over to two tuxedos conveniently hanging next to each other. One was pure black and had a black undershirt with a white tie, which Yoh took off the rack, and one was orange with a black undershirt and a red stripped tie, which Chocolove seemed to fancy. They both ran into the change rooms to try them on. Ryu saw a purple suit with a white undershirt and a black tie that looked like it would fit him, and left to try it on.

"Hmm…" Ren said as he slowly took a tuxedo that looked just like the one he used to wear, yellow with a white undershirt, a green tie, and short black shorts.

He went to the change rooms to try it on. Kishu saw a rather nice grey tuxedo with a black undershirt and a small white bowtie that he seemed to like, and he tried it on. Pyron saw a tuxedo that he thought looked good, it had a black top, white pants and a white undershirt with a black tie. He left to change. They all came out in their tuxedos about a moment later, all looking nice in their own ways. Every tuxedo seemed to fit the wearer perfectly.

"Now for your tuxedo, Taruto." Kishu said to Taruto who was sitting on a bench, looking up at a clock dully.

"I don't want to wear a tuxedo." Taruto whined, looking at Kishu.

"Too bad." Kishu said holding out a tuxedo in Taruto's size. It was a pure Black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a black tie.

"No way am I wearing that." Taruto said angrily.

"Come on Taruto, do it for Pai." Kishu said cocking his head.

"I don't want to." Taruto said stubbornly.

"It's not that bad, Taruto. I bet it will make your little friend happy." Kishu said grinning and pushing it closer to Taruto.

"Defiantly not." Taruto said pushing it back.

"Please?" Kishu said innocently.

"…Oh fine." Taruto said snatching the tuxedo and storming off into the change room.

He came out a moment later with his arms crossed angrily.

"You look great, Taruto." Kishu said smiling.

"Mm…" Taruto mumbled.

They all went up to the cash register to pay for the tuxedos.

"That'll come up to $991.82." Said the man behind the counter.

"Here you are." Pai said handing the man a wad of cash.

The man boxed up the tuxedos and put them on the counter; everyone took their box and walked out of the store.

"Pai, where did you get all of that money?" Kishu asked turning to Pai.

"Banks are full of it." Pai said simply.

"Hmm… The time is 11:30; do you want to get something to eat?" Kishu said as he looked at a small clock tower next to a fountain.

"Sure, let's go somewhere nearby." Ren said looking around.

There was a small burger stand on a street corner that caught Horo Horo's eye.

"There!" He yelled as he pointed in its direction.

They all had ordered something to eat and sat down at a small table near the fountain to eat it.

"Yum man, this burger's great dude!" Horo Horo yelled with his mouth full.

"This veggie burger has all the taste I was hoping it would." Yoh said as he took a big bite from it.

When everyone was finished they threw away the garbage and sat for a few moments to rest. Taruto glanced at the clock tower.

"11:58?" Taruto said to himself.

Slowly, he crept behind the tower by himself, making sure no one was looking, then he teleported away.

**At Pudding's House:**

Taruto appeared next to the gate of Pudding's house and looked around. He couldn't see her anywhere. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming this way. He glancing in the direction they were coming from and sure enough, there was Pudding waving to him.

"Hi Taru-Taru, Na no da!" She yelled happily.

"Hey, so have you thought about what we are going to do?" Taruto asked turning himself fully towards her.

"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea that I think you might like." Pudding said smiling.

"Well?" Taruto asked leaning closer.

"Follow Pudding, Na no da." Pudding said taking his hand and running in the direction in which she had arrived.

They were running through the streets of Tokyo, dodging traffic and pedestrians as they went. Within a few minutes of running they came to a small yellow shop. Pudding pushed the door open and pulled Taruto inside with her. She went down one isle with a whole bunch of colorful items. She stopped about half way through and smiled. Pudding slowly picked an item from the shelf and looked at it. Taruto looked at her in confusion. She turned to him and smiled.

"Perfect!" She said happily.

She walked over to the register and placed the item on the counter.

"Can I have that too?" Pudding said pointing to a big canister behind the employee that worked there.

"Sure." He said as he picked it up and placed it on the counter. "That comes to $60.95."

"Here you go, Na no da." Pudding said as she handed the man a few bills.

Taruto glanced at the items on the counter, the bag contained multicolored things, and on the package, from what he could see it said 100. The man took the bag and put it in a small brown bag and handed it to Pudding; who handed it to Taruto and lifted the big canister with all her strength.

"Thank you, Na no da!" She said as she and Taruto exited the shop.

"Pudding, what are these?" Taruto asked turning to Pudding.

"Those in the bag are Balloons, and this is helium." Pudding said smiling.


	12. The Wedding Part 1

**Chapter 12: The Wedding Part 1**

After a long day of shopping and planning, everyone had gone home and had a good nights sleep. It was 6:45pm on the date of the wedding; and everyone was mingling outside the café where it was to be held.

Pai was in the men's room along with Kishu, Ren, and Pyron. He was standing in front of a mirror adjusting his bowtie.

"How are you feeling Pai?" Kishu asked, standing behind him.

"Fine, I'm just thinking about Lettuce, I hope that she is doing alright." Pai said looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"I'm sure she's fine." Kishu said reassuringly.

"I guess you're right." Pai said sighing.

"Hey, Pai?" Said a voice from the door.

"Yes?" Pai said turning to see Taruto standing there in his little Tuxedo.

"I'm here to get the wedding ring." Taruto said dully.

"Oh, yes, here you are." Pai said handing the wedding ring to Taruto.

"Thanks." Taruto said as he left.

In the hallway, Taruto slowly closed the door to the men's room and sighed with boredom. He began to walk when he was stopped.

"Taru-Taru?" Pudding said as she ran up beside him.

"Do you have the ring?" He asked, turning to her.

"Yeah, here you go, Na no da." Pudding said handing Lettuce's ring to him.

"Thanks, how is it going with the balloons?" Taruto asked quietly.

"Great, I got them all setup on the other side of the café; all we have to do is cut the rope, Na no da." Pudding said grinning.

"Good." Taruto said grinning with her.

In the women's room Lettuce was sitting on a chair fidgeting with her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm just a little nervous." Lettuce answered softly.

"Don't be, it will all work out fine." Zakuro said simply.

"I hope you're right." Lettuce said looking down.

"Okay, everyone is here." Mint said coming into the room.

"I suppose we should get ready, then." Lettuce said smiling.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, I am." Lettuce said happily.

"I'll go tell everyone to take their seats." Mint said leaving again.

Lettuce took a deep breath and a sip of water. She slowly stood up.

Outside, Pai was standing awkwardly at an arch of vines along side the minister. Keiichiro began to play the piano, as Zakuro and Pyron walked down the isle. As soon as they got to the end of it, they split up and took their places as a bridesmaid and a groomsman. Following them, Mint and Ren; Ren looking rather bored. They too split up at the end of the isle without as much as a glance in the others direction. Next came Kishu and Ichigo, their arms linked between them; Ichigo was looking quite annoyed, but kept a smile on her face. At the end, Kishu gave Ichigo a small kiss on the cheek and joined Pai, Pyron and Ren; Kishu being the first groomsman, stood next to Pai followed by Ren then Pyron. Next came skipping Pudding throwing flowers all around, and Taruto about a foot behind her. They stood away from everyone, off to the side. Finally, Keiichiro's song slowly merged into the traditional 'Here comes the bride' tune. Lettuce stood at the beginning of the long isle with a shy look on her face, holding her arm was Ryou. Slowly they walked towards Pai. Pai smiled at her radiance. Lettuce reached the end of the isle and separated with Ryou, who sat in an empty chair. Lettuce stepped closer to Pai. He took her hands and smiled at her, looking deep into her eyes, she smiled back at him.

"We are gathered here today, in holy matrimony to join together Midorikawa Lettuce and Aliens Pai." The minister said respectfully.

The next few things that the minister said were not heard by Pai, nor Lettuce; their minds were elsewhere. During which time, Pudding snuck off unnoticed. Finally, Lettuce and Pai snapped back to reality.

"Pai, do you take thee Lettuce to be your loftily wedded wife, in sickness and in health, through the good times and the bad, till death do you part?" The minister asked.

"I do." Pai said without hesitation.

"Lettuce, do you take thee Pai to be your loftily wedded husband, in sickness and in health, through the good times and the bad, till death do you part?" The minister asked as he turned to Lettuce.

"I do." Lettuce said smiling.

"Now, the rings if you will." The minister asked Taruto, who stepped forward and handed them each their rings to give to each other.

Pai took the ring for Lettuce and slowly slipped it onto her finger. She did the same for him. They stared into each others eyes.

"Well then, you may now kiss the bride." The minister said.

Pai slowly lifted the veil from Lettuce's face and gazed at her. Slowly he leaned down and put his lips to hers. Just then, what appeared to be a hundred balloons soared through the sky and above them. Pai and Lettuce slowly pulled away and glanced over that the beautiful array of multicolored balloons that painted the sky just as the sun was completely disappearing over the horizon. Pai and Lettuce turned back to each other and smiled. Pudding came running from around the café and stood in awe next to Taruto.

"Wow, it's even better than Pudding thought it would be, Na no da." Pudding said happily as she stared up at the sky.

"Yeah…" Taruto said not turning away from the all the beautiful colors.

Pudding slowly took Taruto's hand in hers as she gazed up at the sky with sparkling eyes and a glowing smile. He looked away from the sky and down at their hands for a second before looking up at Pudding. She turned her head to him and grinned as he gave her a nice smile in return. They both looked back up at the sky as the balloons drifted farther and farther into the darkening sky.

After the ceremony it was time for Lettuce and Pai to cut the beautiful cake that they had bought when they were in the city, it was a huge wedding cake with a little groom and bride on top; the groom was specially made to have big alien ears. Pai took Lettuce's hand and placed the knife in it, and put his hand on top of hers. Together, they cut the cake and gave everyone a piece of it. Everyone sat at little tables, provided by Ryou and Keiichiro from the café, as they ate their cake.

"Lettuce-san, this was truly the greatest day of my life." Pai said staring across the table at Lettuce with a smile.

"Mine too, Pai-san." Lettuce said smiling back at him.

Keiichiro played the piano beautifully as everyone ate, and soon it was time for Lettuce to throw the flowers. She stood up at the end of the isle with everyone behind her. She gently tossed the flowers behind her. They flew through the air twirling as it did. It struck Ren in the head and ricocheted off, landing in Jun's hands.

"I caught it!" Jun exclaimed happily. She turned to Pyron and smiled at him.

"Oh goodness…" Ren said rolling his eyes.

As the night grew darker, the time for dancing was finally there. Keiichiro was playing beautiful music that everyone seemed to enjoy. The first dance was to be between the bride and groom. Pai took Lettuce's hand and guided her to the dance floor. She looked up shyly into his eyes. Slowly, they began to dance. Everyone watched them as they did.

"Aw, don't you think that is just so cute Renny?" Jun asked Ren as she watched them.

"No, not really." Ren said taking a sip of his milk.

"Renny, don't be like that here." Jun said turning to him.

"That's who I am; you can't expect me to change just because we are at a wedding, Jun." Ren said angrily.

"I suppose not…" Jun said looking back at Lettuce and Pai.

Once that dance was over, everyone was invited onto the dance floor. Pai and Lettuce stayed on. Jun and Pyron joined them, as well.

"Horo Horo…" Ichigo said standing beside him.

"Uh…Uh…" Horo Horo sweat dropped.

"Do you want to dance?" She asked, glancing in Kishu's direction to see if he was watching; which he was, with one eyebrow raised.

"Uh-Uh- I'm taken!" He yelled as he began to dance with Chocolove.

"DUDE!" Chocolove yelled.

"Just go along with this okay man, please help me out!" Horo Horo whispered.

Ichigo frowned angrily.

"Zakuro, even if you are not my shaman queen, will you still dance with me?" Ryu asked walking up beside her.

"Maybe, but I must warn you, I am a professional dancer so you better keep up with me, got it?" Zakuro said turning to him.

"Yes, Zakuro." Ryu said as they began to dance.

Dancing with Zakuro made him look like one of the worst dancers ever. He tripped over pebbles and made horrible mistakes everywhere he went. Zakuro rolled her eyes at how unprofessional he was.

"Hey, uh, Mint? Do you want to, you know, dance?" Yoh asked kindly.

"Only if you agree, no funny stuff okay granola boy?" She said staring at him angrily.

"Dude, I'm like, engaged and junk." Yoh said innocently.

"Whatever." Mint said standing, "I'm only dancing because I love it and there is no one else to dance with around here." Mint said narrowing her eyes.

"Uh, alright dude." Yoh said giving her a thumbs up.

Mint was started by this, and stumbled backwards; almost falling down. She defended her face by throwing her hands in front of it and cowering. Her breathing rate increased and she felt faint, like she was to pass out. She stepped backwards in fear of her pursuer, who was smiling dumbly and showing his teeth in a wobbly grin. She was in a fit of fright as she began to have a conniption. Her mind was spinning with trepidation of what he was going to do next. She was engulfed in foreboding, as terror struck her every limb as if she was in a ghastly nightmare.

"Dude?" Yoh said cocking his head in concern.

"AHH!" Mint screamed as she ran in the other direction and hid behind Keiichiro's piano in hopes he wouldn't find her.

Yoh shrugged and sat down in a nearby chair to watch everyone else dance.

Ichigo was sitting by herself in a chair at an empty table with a glass of water in her hand. She took a small sip and placed it in front of her as she watched everyone else dance their troubles away. She closed her eyes and sighed. Suddenly, someone appeared behind her, his face beside her ear.

"Would you like to dance?" Said a calm voice that startled her.

"What?" She said spinning around.

"I said would you like to dance with me?" He repeated.

"With you? No way Kishu." She said angrily.

"Oh Kitty, I know you would just simply love to." Kishu said extending his hand to her.

"I wouldn't." She said nervously.

The music suddenly changed to another tune, which Kishu found much more interesting. He bent closer to her and grinned.

"Let's Tango." He said taking her hand and pulling her from her seat.

Before she could object, he had pulled her to the dance floor and was guiding her like a master. She was impressed by his skills; she didn't think aliens could dance.

"Kishu, where did you learn to tango?" Ichigo asked, astonished.

"Well Kitty, I watched people do this before, and I'm a very quick learner." Kishu said smiling wider.

Kishu was actually a very good dancer, Ichigo was having a pretty good time; although she was not about to tell Kishu that.


	13. The Wedding Part 2

**Chapter 13: The Wedding Part 2**

"Pudding really appreciates this, Na no da." Pudding said happily.

"Mm…" Taruto replied boringly.

They too were on the dance floor, except Pudding had Taruto handcuffed to her. Taruto looking rather annoyed with this; Pudding looked like she was having the time of her life. Finally, what Taruto had been waiting for happened; the song ended.

"Finally." Taruto said dragging Pudding to a table, where they sat down.

Ren was sitting at that table drinking his milk with a really bored look on his face, just staring at everyone dancing. He yawned and leaned against his chair. Kishu and Ichigo sat down next to them.

"Phew…" Ichigo sighed, exhausted.

"Is Ichigo Onee-Chan tired, Na no da?" Pudding asked curiously.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Ichigo replied taking a drink of water.

Ichigo put the water back on the table and leaned back. Kishu looked at Ren; who was just staring into the sky.

"What's wrong Brother?" Kishu asked.

"Nothing, this is just really boring." Ren said closing his eyes.

"That's just because you're too stubborn to ask someone to dance." Kishu said smiling.

"I don't dance." Ren said crossing his arms.

"Maybe you should learn, it's pretty nice to know how to do something like dancing, you never know when it might come in handy." Kishu said leaning back in his chair.

"Pssh…" Ren muttered, "Dancing is for sissies."

"Sissies?" Kishu said laughing, "On the contrary, Renny."

"What do you mean?" Ren said opening one eye.

"Dancing is quite masculine, only someone who is comfortable with their sexuality can do something like it." Kishu said lowering his eyebrows.

"Puh." Ren replied angrily, as he looked back up at the sky.

"Say what you will, Renny." Kishu said shrugging.

There was a small awkward pause. Taruto sighed crossing both of his arms on the table and resting his chin on them; pulling Pudding's handcuffed hand with him.

"Uh, Pudding, why are you and Taruto handcuffed?" Ichigo asked.

Both Kishu and Ren looked over to them with one eyebrow raised.

"Because Pudding wanted Taru-Taru to dance with her, and he would come until she used brute force, Na no da!" Pudding said smiling.

"Yeah; and where did you even get these things?" Taruto asked holding his handcuffed hand up and looking at the device holding their hands together, without lifting his head off of his arms.

"A pawn shop." Pudding replied, looking at the cuffs.

"But, why would you even want to dance with an alien?" Ichigo said shuddering.

"I don't know; its fun to dance. And it's even more fun when you are dancing with your best friends." Pudding said smiling.

Taruto lifted his head up and looked at her, with red cheeks. He lowered his head back onto his arms and sighed.

"Hmm…" Taruto grumbled, closing his eyes.

Pudding rummaged through her pocket, and pulled out a small key. She slipped it into the key holes of the handcuffs, unlocking them. Taruto heard the sound of metal against metal, and opened one eye. Pudding put the handcuffs on the table and rubbed her wrist.

After a long time dancing, everyone was getting a little drowsy. Finally the wedding party was wearing down, and everyone was sitting at the tables.

"Hmm… Brother, since the wedding is over, I suppose I should take you and your friends back to your dimension." Kishu said standing from his seat and stretching.

"Sure…" Ren said without any enthusiasm.

Kishu picked up his glass of water and a small metal spoon, he gently clacked them together. Everyone looked at him.

"Anyone who wishes to go to the other dimension, please come here." Kishu said as he placed the glass and spoon back on the table.

Everyone from the shaman dimension came over, mostly looking tired.

"Dude, like, we leavin', man?" Horo Horo asked tiredly.

"Yes, now say goodbye." Kishu said to all of the shamans.

"Dude, I'll like see you later and junk, man." Yoh said giving Mint a peace sign.

Mint felt a jolt of terror race through her body. She tried to scream but nothing came out. She was paralyzed with fear and was getting hysterical. Her friends looked at her as she was breathing at an unhealthy rate and flailing her arms in the air as she spiraled around in a whimsical daze. She thought it was a gang sign, a sign that she was to be whacked. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer, faster and faster as she drew ever closer to what she thought would be her death. Suddenly, she fainted. All of her friends looked down at her, with no shock in their faces.

"Well, goodbye." Zakuro said waving to the shamans.

"Farewell, Zakuro." Ryu said smiling.

"Bye Horo Horo!" Ichigo yelled, waving; while glancing at Kishu to see if he was watching her. Of course he was.

"Thank you all for coming." Lettuce said smiling.

"You're welcome, bye!" Chocolove said waving.

Kishu and the shamans all disappeared in a flash. They appeared in the middle of the street in their own dimension.

"Dude, I feel sick, man." Horo Horo said holding his stomach.

"Man, you're preaching to the choir, dude." Chocolove said with his hand on his head.

"Dude, what does preaching mean, man?" Horo Horo asked.

"Man, I don't know, I heard someone say it one time, dude." Chocolove replied scratching his head.

"You are both ignoramuses." Ren said rolling his eyes.

"Dude?" Both Horo Horo and Chocolove said, confused.

"Pssh." Ren said angrily narrowing his eyes.

"Hey, you guys should try to open up more to your fellow shamans, man." Yoh said smiling and taking out some granola. "Granola, Ryu?" Yoh offered.

"Sure, I guess I could have some." Ryu replied taking some.

A small tear formed in Yoh's right eye. He slowly lifted his left arm and wiped it from his face. He smiled with pride.

"Totally radical." Yoh said giving Ryu a thumbs up.

"That was fun, Kish; we should do that more often." Jun said smiling.

"Yes, we should Jun." Kishu said smiling back at her.

"It has been quite gratifying becoming slightly more acquainted with you, Master Kishu." Pyron said bowing his head respectfully.

"I told you, it's just Kishu. You don't need to be formal with me, Pyron." Kishu said grinning.

"I suppose that I should say farewell as well, Brother." Ren said turning to Kishu.

"Thank you, Renny. I will see you very soon." Kishu replied with a smile.

"What are you implying?" Ren asked crossing his arms.

"Oh nothing brother, just that perhaps I will visit you sometime." Kishu said resting one hand on his hip.

"Hmm…" Ren grumbled lowering his eyebrows.

"Well, I should be on my way. I would like to say goodnight to Ichigo before she goes to sleep." Kishu said happily.

"What is with you?" Ren asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh brother, you don't get it do you?" Kishu asked frowning.

"Get what?" Ren asked angrily.

"… Nothing, you will understand how it works someday." Kishu said sighing.

"How what works?" Ren asked curiously.

"Love, brother." Kishu smirked.

"Don't talk to me about love; I am not the type to fall in love. It is a sissy emotion." Ren replied looking away.

"Someday you will get it, brother." Kishu said grinning with his teeth showing.

"Puh." Ren mumbled.

"Anyway, I will miss you brother." Kishu said waving goodbye.

"I suppose perhaps I might miss you as well." Ren said reluctantly.

"Goodbye!" Kishu said as he disappeared into the night.

"…Farewell…" Ren muttered.

**While That Was Happening: **

"Well, now that they are gone, we should go." Mint said finally gaining consciousness.

Instantly, a huge limousine pulled up next to Mint, and the driver rushed out and opened the door for her.

"So long." Mint said stepping into the limousine and leaving.

"I guess we could go back to my house, my parents are asleep. Perhaps you could stay in the guest room; I'll just tell them you are just an exchange student from school." Lettuce said turning to Pai.

"I suppose." Pai replied as they began to leave.

"I have to get home before Kishu finds me." Ichigo said running toward her house.

Zakuro glanced over at Pudding and Taruto; Pudding was sleeping and Taruto was just watching her dully.

"What about you?" Zakuro asked.

"I'll take Pudding home, I guess." Taruto said gently lifting her up, with quite a bit of trouble; being the size he was.

Taruto teleported away, leaving Zakuro standing alone. She shrugged and began to walk towards her house.

**At Ichigo's house:**

"Good, he's not here." Ichigo said looking around her room.

She quietly grabbed her pajamas and went to the bathroom. When she returned she slipped into bed without turning the lights on. She rolled over to see Kishu, sitting on the other side of the bed staring at her.

"AHH!" She screamed, almost falling out of bed.

"Did I startle you?" Kishu asked looking at her with concern.

"Of course you did! What are you doing here?" Ichigo whispered loudly.

"I came to say goodnight." Kishu said smiling.

"Well you said it now leave!" Ichigo whispered.

"Oh, but I just got here." Kishu said crossing his arms.

"I don't care, you have to leave! My parents are light sleepers!" Ichigo whispered, glancing around the room in worry.

"Ichigo?" Said a voice from outside her door.

"They're here!" Ichigo said with her eyes wide.

"Am I finally going to meet your parents, Kitty?" Kishu asked grinning.

"Ichigo?" The voice said again as the door creaked open.

The door opened fully and there stood both of her parents, looking very tired. They stared at Ichigo with worry.

"Is everything alright dear?" Her mom asked, concerned.

Ichigo breathed deeply and glanced back to see if Kishu was there. All she saw was wrinkled covers. She turned back to her parents.

"Yeah, I just had a bad dream is all." Ichigo said nervously.

"Okay… let's go back to bed." Ichigo's father said leaving and closing the door behind him and Ichigo's mother.

"Phew." Ichigo sighed in relief.

She looked back at where Kishu was, and still he was not there. She sighed and crawled under her covers to go to sleep.


	14. Life Without Ren

**Chapter 14: Life without Ren**

**In The Shaman Dimension:**

"Dude, like hey s'up man?" Horo Horo said entering the room where Ren was.

Ren sat next to the window staring outside at the night sky. He slowly turned around and looked at Horo Horo dully.

"The least you could do when you talk to me is to speak properly." Ren said angrily.

"Uh, so like dude like are you like totally alright and junk, man?" Horo Horo asked in a confused way.

"Tss. Get me some milk." Ren ordered.

"Uh, dude, like alright, man." Horo Horo replied as he left.

Chocolove entered the room.

"And what do you want?" Ren asked narrowing his eyes.

"Uh, man, it's my room too, dude." Chocolove said scratching his head.

"Fine." Ren said turning back around.

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Horo Horo burst back into the room panting like a dog.

"Dude, like I brought you your milk, man." Horo Horo said tiredly.

"That is Master Ren to you, same goes for you Chocolove." Ren said turning to face them both with his eyebrows down.

"Uh, man I-" Chocolove started but was cut off by Ren.

"I told you it is MASTER REN!" Ren shouted.

"Uh, Ren dude, like wha-" Horo Horo began but instantly stopped when Ren shoved his weapon about a millimeter from his face.

"M-Master R-R-Ren…" Chocolove stuttered.

"Did I tell you to speak?" Ren said looking angrily at Chocolove.

"I brought the milk Master Ren." Horo Horo said slowly extending his hand to Ren with the milk container in it; His hand was shaking furiously.

"Hmm…" Ren mumbled examining the milk.

Slowly Ren lowered the weapon and opened the milk container, peering inside it suspiciously. He was some small specks and looked up at Horo Horo. He stared into his eyes like a police man interrogating a criminal. Horo Horo smiled nervously and began to sweat with fear.

"You, take a sip." Ren said shoving the milk at Chocolove.

"Me? B-But I can't Master Ren, I-" Chocolove started.

"I said drink!" Ren said angrily.

He raised his weapon to the height of Chocolove's nose and pushed it slightly into the soft flesh. Chocolove swallowed hard and sweat dropped.

"Uh… But Master Ren-" Chocolove stammered.

"Take a drink. Or you'll lose it." Ren said pushing his weapon slightly harder into Chocolove's nose.

Chocolove slowly took the milk and raised it to his mouth. Reluctantly he took a small sip from the container and grinned nervously.

"See? Nothing wrong with it." Horo Horo said shrugging.

"I suppose not." Ren said as the mood began to lighten.

Ren took the milk from Chocolove and wiped of the nozzle before taking a sip himself. Everyone began to relax as the mood became more normal. Ren looked over at Chocolove who was breathing oddly.

"What is wrong with you?" Ren said eyeing him.

"I-I'm lactose intolerant." Chocolove said quietly.

**That Night**

Ren, Jun, Pyron, Yoh, Horo Horo, Ryu, Faust, Eliza, Pirika, Tamao, Manta, and Anna were all sitting in the local diner in Patch Village.

"Granola?" Yoh offered Pyron.

"I do not eat". He replied simply.

"Your loss dude." Yoh said shrugging, "So, what happened to you Chocolove?" Yoh asked turning to the bathroom door. There had been moans coming from there, and Chocolove had not exited for an hour.

"Uh… like, Ren, Horo Horo and I all went to this Chinese place right? And um…let's just say I put some bad stuff in my sushi…" Chocolove said nervously.

"Whoa man, that is like totally weird." Yoh said believing his story.

Chocolove came out of the bathroom holding his stomach. "Man, I think I got it all out of my system, dude…"

"Good. Well I'm going upstairs for bed." Ren said starting for the stairs.

"Me to, a man needs his beauty sleep." Horo Horo said stretching and following Ren.

"I'm coming to, man. Just leave a clear shot from my bed to the bathroom and I should be fine." Chocolove said stumbling after them, still holding his stomach.

**At about 1:00 am**

There was a slight sound at the window, like Lego scratching on glass. It woke Ren, Chocolove and Horo Horo up. They stumbled to the window, and Ren opened it.

"What?" he said sleepily wiping his eyes.

"Hello Ren." Came the voice of Hao. He was sitting on a branch with his chin in his Lego-gloved hand.

"Hao? Is that you?" muttered Chocolove groping around in the darkness for a sign of Hao; his eyes had not fully adjusted to the dark.

"Yes, that is me. Now stop flailing your arm about you insect, you could poke my eye out. I came for Ren, not to be slapped around like a mischievous child." Hao snarled slapping Chocolove's wrist away from his head.

"Ow…" Chocolove mumbled rubbing his now red with pain wrist.

"You came for me? At this time of night? Now you won't even let me sleep?" Ren said frowning.

"Dude, you are like totally obsessed, man." said Horo Horo wrapping himself in a blanket.

"Shut up." Hao snapped shooting an angry glance Horo Horo's way.

"For once he is right. Why do you insist on me joining you? Aren't there lesser people you could be bugging at 1:00 in the morning?" said Ren lazily.

"No, I want you…" wined Hao clawing at the air.

"I don't swing that way." Ren said crossing his arms.

"I'm not gay; I just want you to be my friend. You seem like a good friend…" Hao said making sad puppy eyes.

Chocolove and Horo Horo couldn't hide their chuckles.

"What are you two chuckling about?" said Ren.

"Nothing Re-Master Ren…" said Horo Horo snapping back to attention.

"Anyway, you really should join me. I hold a pretty good hand of cards…" Hao said grinning evilly.

"Dude, didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not the cards you are dealt, like, it's the cards you play, man?" Horo Horo asked, taking a step forward.

"Well, I chose this card." Hao paused. "SPIRIT OF FIRE!"

Hao pointed at Horo Horo and the spirit appeared and sent a ball of fire at Horo Horo, who just barely managed to scamper out of the way in time to escape the burn. He hid behind Ren in a childish way.

"Th- Th- Th- That's a good card man…" Horo Horo stuttered, afraid.

"Anyway Ren, join me. You and I are so alike-" Hao began, but was interrupted by Ren.

"Oh don't play that old card Hao." Ren said angrily.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" asked Hao a little sarcastically.

"The whole 'You and I are so alike' villain thing. You and I are most certainly not alike at all." Ren said pushing Horo Horo away.

"But, we did used to be, before you met my brother." Hao groaned bitterly.

"What?" asked Chocolove, who did not know Ren at all before he became friends with Yoh and the others.

"Oh, don't you know? Ren used to be very evil; we even wanted the same thing. To kill all humans and restore the natural beauty to the earth, the way it once was. A shaman only world. But my brother turned him against those beliefs." Explained Hao a little annoyed. "But deep down you still do believe that, don't you Ren?"

"No." Ren said simply.

"Oh come on, no use pretending I already know." Hao said grinning maniacally.

"I'm not pretending, now leave." Ren said angrily.

"I didn't want to resort to this, Ren, but I'm playing this card." Hao said raising his hand to the spirit of fire as if to present something that the spirit of fire was holding in it's massive hand, "The sister card."

The spirit of fire's hands lit ablaze and clamped together, fingers to fingers horizontally, like some sort of cage. Inside it was both Jun and Pyron.

"Renny!" Jun cried reaching out to him.

"No Jun, you could burn yourself." Pyron said holding her back.

"Jun? Pyron? What are you two doing?" Ren demanded.

"Hao captured us in our room." Jun said sadly.

"Pyron, you let Hao take Jun and yourself?" Ren said coldly.

"I'm truly sorry, Master Ren; the spirit of fire was too powerful for me." Pyron said lowering his head in shame.

"Anyway Ren, you must fight alongside me, with the great spirit of fire beneath our feet, or I will destroy her." Hao said throwing his hands behind him and tossing his head back dramatically, with his grin widening evilly.

"You wouldn't…" Ren said narrowing his eyes in anger.

"Oh, I would." Hao said tilting his head to the spirit of fire.

The hands of the spirit became hot and the fingers lit on fire, nearly burning Jun; who clung to Pyron in fear. The fire crept closer slowly until it nearly reached Jun.

"Stop!" Ren yelled loudly, slowly he lowered his head, "I will go with you."

"Excellent! Come along comrade!" Hao said waving Ren forward.

Reluctantly, Ren stepped forward and walked slowly towards Hao. Horo Horo and Chocolove froze in horror as he walked past them. Ren stood near Hao frowning angrily; he glared at him strait in the eye.

"Let Jun go." Ren demanded.

"Certainly; Spirit of fire?" Hao said turning to the fire spirit.

The Great Spirit lowered his hands and placed Jun and Pyron on the ground next to Chocolove and Horo Horo.

"Now Ren; let us take our leave." Hao said happily.

Hao leapt backwards, with enough height to land on the spirit of fire's shoulder. Ren turned to him and paused. He slowly walked towards the beast with his eyes closed, frowning. Bason was following him cautiously and steadily, looking over his shoulder at Horo Horo and Chocolove every couple of seconds. The massive fire spirit lowered his hand in front of Ren; He stopped walking, opened his eyes, and looked down at the gigantic red hand. He took one step onto it and felt the heat of fire. Ren walked onto the palm of the hand and glared up at Hao. The spirit raised its giant hand and placed Ren on the same shoulder as Hao.

With that, Hao, Ren and the Spirit of Fire disappeared into thin air.

There was a long pause between Horo Horo and Chocolove.

"…Dude…" Horo Horo managed. He dropped to his knees and then threw his fist into the air dramatically. "RRRRRREEEEEENNNNNN!" he yelled.

"Oh no, Renny!" Jun whimpered, letting a tear fall from her cheek.

"This is my entire fault, I am sorry Jun…" Pyron said turning away from her.

Horo Horo got off the ground sadly. "Dude, it wasn't your fault, like, don't beat yourself up, man." Horo Horo said; his voice dull and dim.

"Man, like, what are we going to, like, do and junk, dude?" Chocolove cried, "Without Ren here we have no direction, like, what do we do and stuff?"

"Dude, I don't like, know or anything, man." Horo Horo replied glancing around suspiciously.

Both Horo Horo and Chocolove looked around, baffled. They tried to walk but ran into walls and tripped on pebbles. They both lay on the floor on their backs with their arms flailing around like turtles, trying to get back onto their feet.

"DUDE? LIKE, I'M STUCK AND JUNK, MAN!" Horo Horo screamed.

"MAN, I LIKE KNOW AND STUFF, ME TOO DUDE!" Chocolove cried.

"Pyron, I'm scared…" Jun cried, looking at the ground.

"Do not worry, Jun. Master Ren will find a way out of this horrible predicament, I am sure of it." Pyron said placing his hand on Jun's shoulder comfortingly.

Jun looked up at him with her eyes filled with tears. She wrapped her arms around him quickly and began to cry harder. Pyron was quite confused on what to do, so he just put his arms on her back and remained silent.

"Man, like, don't you want to like cry on my shoulder?" Chocolove said, finally standing and inching near Jun with an evil grin.

Chocolove inched closer to Jun, reaching out to hug her; but was smacked across the face, hard. He looked up and saw Pyron staring angrily down at him. Jun was still crying harder than Pyron thought was even possible for Jun; she wasn't even paying attention.

"Dude, were you like, hitting on Ren's sister, Man?' Horo Horo asked, finally staggering to his feet with a look of shock on his face.

"Uh… Man, like, dude, I was just like… Yeah…" Chocolove admitted.

"Dude, not cool, man." Horo Horo said shaking his head disapprovingly.

Just then, Yoh, Ryu, Faust, Eliza, Manta and Anna came running towards them, Pirika and Tamao obviously to young to be woken up so early.

"Hey, what was all the ruckus man?" Yoh said, out of breath.

"Get into shape, Yoh!" Anna yelled.

"Anna, it's neither the time nor the place!" Manta yelled, also out of breath.

"Shut up creampuff." Anna snapped.

"Would you all just be quiet?" Faust said to them, angrily.

"Yeah, look." Yoh said referring to Jun and Pyron; not once had he ever seen Jun cry ever before, "What happened man?" Yoh asked, concerned.

"It is Master Ren. Hao has finally taken him to his side. It is all my fault; I am sorry, really sorry." Pyron said quietly, almost whispering the last part.

"Don't be, Pyron." Jun said through the tears, "It was not your fault; it was all the doings of Hao, no one blames you." Jun said looking up at him.

"I do…" Pyron whispered to himself, his voice full of sadness.

**With Hao and Ren**

"So um…what now?" asked Ren stepping off the Spirit of Fire's hand and into a campground, complete with fire, Opacho cooking marshmallows, and both of the Flying Zen Brothers singing.

"Hao-sama!" exclaimed Opacho running up and hugging Hao's leg. "Opacho cooked you a marshmallow, Hao-sama!" she offered the marshmallow and the end of the stick to his master, and Hao gratefully accepted.

"Thank you Opacho." He said petting her head and eating the marshmallow.

"Opacho cooked one for Ren-sama too!" Opacho took a stick from by the fire with a marshmallow at the end and gave it to Ren.

"How the heck did you know I was going to be here?" Ren said coldly, not reaching out for the treat in the child's hand.

"Opacho always cooks a marshmallow for Ren-sama, in hopes he would finally accept Hao-sama's offer and come to be our friend…" she replied looking at her feet, eyes filling up with tears.

"Goodness…" said Ren rolling his eyes and accepting the sticky treat. "I didn't mean to make you cry little boy."

"I'M A GIRL!" Opacho exclaimed, tears running down her face.

"Oh, I am sorry." Ren said a little repelled by the change.

"That's alright Ren-sama, I forgive you!" she said grinning up at him.

Ren glanced at the marshmallow in his hand and winced at the disgusting sticky mess.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" said Opacho cocking her head, waiting for his reply. "Or do you hate Opacho's gift?" tears welled in her eyes again.

"No, no, no. See, I'll eat it." Ren glanced at Bason beside him, who nodded for him to eat it. He slowly put the marshmallow in his mouth and shuddered at the sugary unhealthy abomination.

"YAY!" she exclaimed clapping her hands and hugging his ankle.

"I see you two have already made friends!" said Hao smiling at his little friend.

"Ren-sama friend!" she said grinning up at him.

"Yes…" muttered Ren looking at the two guitar players by the fire.

"You two, shoo." Hao said gesturing for the ZenRyo to leave. They mindlessly obeyed, and ran away with their guitars into the desert.

"Hao, I would like to go to sleep now. Goodnight." Ren said turning away from Hao and sitting down on the ground.

"Uh, alright, see you in the morning comrade!" Hao said happily.

**In The Morning:**

"Wakie Wakie!" Hao said standing in front of Ren.

Ren was in the same position in which he was when he had fallen asleep, sitting cross legged with his arms crossed, as well. Ren popped open one eye. Hao's face was only inches from his.

"Have you had any sleep?" asked Ren frowning.

"I don't sleep!" Hao answered happily. "I watched you all night, it gets boring and lonely when you don't sleep you know."

"Creepy…" muttered Ren.

"I used to watch Opacho, but she got a little boring. No offense Opacho." He said looking over to the young child eating a piece of beef jerky by the fire. Her response was a forgiving grin.

"What is it Hao, why do you wake me so early?" Ren said, not at all sounding sleepy.

"Because I need you to prove your loyalty to me." Hao grinned.

"What do you want me to do?" Ren asked, opening his other eye.

"I need you to come with me and the spirit of fire, and perform a task." Hao replied with his eyebrows low.

"Hmm… what kind of task is it?' Ren asked curiously.

"Just your average 'prove your loyalty' task, nothing special." Hao said shrugging.

"Fine; I will come." Ren said standing.

"So, what are we going to do?" Yoh asked.

They were all standing back where Ren had left, trying to figure out how they were supposed to get him back.

"Dude, I'm not sure; he will probably get back on his own, man." Horo Horo replied, still in a bit of a daze.

"Maybe, man…" Yoh said, still thinking about how Ren could ever possibly get away from his brother and fight alongside his friends.

Just then, the Spirit of Fire appeared in front of everyone, with Ren and Hao standing on its shoulders.

"Oh, hello Yoh." Hao said grinning.

"Hao! Let Ren come back with us!" Yoh demanded.

"Um… Let me think," Hao paused and rested his chin on his hand thoughtfully, "No."

"If you don't, I will make you!" Yoh yelled angrily.

"Oh? You will make me, will you?" Hao said laughing.

"Yeah, of coarse I will. Me and all of Ren's friends will get him back no matter what!" Yoh screamed.

"That's a laugh." Hao said chuckling.

"Why?" Yoh asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Yoh, let's just say you are the granola to my beef jerky." Hao said holding up a hand full of wrinkly beef jerky to symbolize his statement.

"But, granola is healthy and it tastes good, and jerky is innutritious, bitter, and it is made from living animals, man." Yoh said holding up granola.

"Here, allow me to explain: If beef jerky and granola are cooked in the same pot, the granola will end up tasting like jerky, but the jerky will still hold its taste. In all, the beef jerky is the one that will forever maintain its flavor, and because of that, the jerky is more powerful than the granola." Hao explained, sounding wise.

"Uh… What?" Horo Horo asked, confused beyond belief.

"Are you that stupid? It means if Yoh and I were to fight, I would be victorious." Hao said rolling his eyes in frustration.

"Oh… Right, I knew that…" Chocolove said, shifting his eyes around nervously.

"Ren, do you honestly want to go back to being friends with these buffoons?" Hao asked, turning to Ren.

"Actually, yes I do." Ren admitted, crossing his arms.

"You- You can't be serious?" Hao asked, bewildered.

"I am. Hao, it has been fun, but I think I will go back with my friends now. Come along Bason." Ren said looking down at the crowd of his friends below.

"Yes Master Ren." Bason replied following him willingly.

"But-But-But…" Hao stammered.

"HAHA! He said BUTT!" Horo Horo said laughing.

"You actually want to be friends with these morons?" Hao asked, shocked.

"It may sound weird to you, but I honestly do." Ren said shrugging.

Ren leapt from the shoulder of the Fire Spirit and landed next to his friends. He spun around and looked up at Hao.

"But you can't leave; you gave yourself to me for your sister's freedom!" Hao whined in a childish manner.

"Yes, true, but you did not keep your word when I defeated you in a sword fight, so why should I keep my word?" Ren asked angrily.

"C-C-Cuz!" Hao stammered.

"When a man does not keep his word, it means they have no honor. In my country, honor is the greatest thing a man can have, without it, he is nothing. Since you did not live up to your promise, I see no reason why I should grant you the privilege of me keeping mine." Ren explained without missing a word.

"B-But!" Hao stuttered angrily.

"Farewell." Ren said waving once.

"But- You- You- You… You'll regret this! I WILL NOT GIVE UP; YOU WILL BE MINE TAO REN!" Hao said as he and the Fire Spirit disappeared in an instant.

"YAY! Ren's back, man!" Horo Horo yelled as he and Chocolove hugged Ren.

"Goodness…" Ren said angrily. "Get away from me you ignorant, asinine, impolite, boorish, ill-mannered, loutish, uncouth, juvenile, adolescents."

"Dude, I missed the way you call us things we don't even understand!" Horo Horo said happily.

"I rue the day I got stuck with you two dim-witted fools as my team mates…" Ren said sighing and crossing his arms.

"No you don't!" They both said, hugging him tighter.

"Leave me be." Ren said, shoving them away.

"Oh Renny, I'm so glad that you're okay!" Jun said running up to him and hugging him.

"Jun… I said not in public!" Ren said pushing her back, with no success.

"Aww… What a Kodak moment…" Horo Horo said smiling.

"I wish she would hug me like that." Chocolove thought out loud.

Everyone stared at him in shock. Ren raised his hand and slapped Chocolove across the face, with enough force to almost nock him over.

"Man, that's discrimination, dude!" Chocolove yelled.

"Well, now that Ren is back, let's all go and get something to eat!" Yoh suggested, smiling widely.

"I suppose I could eat." Ren said with no emotion in his voice.

"Yeah, man, I'm starving!" Horo Horo yelled happily.

Chocolove opened his mouth, ready to reveal a completely uncalled for and corny joke, but was silenced by the cold looks from both Ren and Horo Horo.

With that, they all went into the McPatch diner and had a wonderful breakfast. Ren told his friends all about the horror of waking up with a crazy man staring strait into your face, and for the first time, he was glad they were his friends. It could be a lot worse, after all.


	15. Trapped

**Chapter 15: Trapped**

**In The Mew Mew Dimension**

It had been one day since the wedding, and everyone seemed to be alright with the fact that Lettuce was married to Pai. Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro were working in the café, as they did almost everyday. It was getting late and they were just closing up, Ichigo stepped outside to change the signs from 'open' to 'closed'. She looked out to the street and there stood Aoyama, her boyfriend.

"Aoyama-kun!" Ichigo yelled, waving.

The door to the café was open, and all the girls had heard Ichigo yell and had begun eavesdropping.

"Oh, hello Ichigo." Aoyama said, walking towards her.

"Hi, how are you? How have you been? Is there anything new? I haven't seen you in quite a while, is everything-" Ichigo said, being cut off by Aoyama.

"Ichigo…" Aoyama said in a serious tone.

Ichigo fell silent, sort of afraid of the suddenly serious Aoyama. She stepped forward, staring at him.

"We need to talk." Aoyama said coldly.

"Ouch…" The girls in the café whispered in unity, luckily no one heard them.

"About what?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"About us." Aoyama replied, looking at her strait in the eye.

"I-I don't understand…" Ichigo said quietly.

"Listen, you're just not the girl for me. You're far too immature, you are always late for our dates, and you act so… weirdly." Aoyama said harshly.

"What- What are you saying?" Ichigo asked, still baffled.

"I'm breaking up with you." He said cruelly, his words stinging her.

There was an awkward silence before Aoyama finally turned around unsympathetically and began to walk away, leaving her standing alone. Ichigo stood in shock, her eyes beginning to water. The rest of the girls came outside and stood beside her, watching as Aoyama left.

"Jerk." Mint said evilly.

"Don't worry about it Ichigo; he's obviously not the right guy for you." Zakuro said, without looking at Ichigo.

Ichigo looked down at the ground as she began to cry. Her tears hit the ground like bullets, every drop sounded to her like a gunshot. Her crying deepened as she covered her face with her hands. All her friends looked at her; not knowing what to say to make her feel better. Suddenly, Pai appeared in front of them.

"What happened?" He asked Lettuce, referring to Ichigo.

"Her jerk boyfriend dumped her." Mint said coldly.

"Oh, I see." Pai said neutrally.

All of a sudden, Kishu appeared in front of Ichigo with a huge grin. He looked down at her sympathetically as his grin faded.

"What's wrong Kitty?" He asked softly.

"A-A-Ao-Aoyama…" She cried.

"What did he do to you?" Kishu asked curiously.

"H-H-He d-d-dumped m-me…" She replied, holding back a fit of tears.

"Hmm…" Kishu grumbled.

"I-I-I thought t-that he l-l-loved me…" She cried harder, "I-I'm a f-f-fool…"

"You're not," Kishu said laughing, "It's he who is the fool, Kitty."

"W-What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Only an imbecile would hurt someone like he did." Kishu said smiling kindly.

"Th-Th-Thanks…" Ichigo said quietly.

"Now, dry your eyes and get on with your life." Kishu said cheerfully.

"A-Alright." Ichigo said smiling, "Thank you for cheering me up, Kishu."

Ichigo hugged Kishu and calmed herself down. Just then, Taruto appeared next to Pai.

"Hey guys, deep blue-sama said that… Uh, what's going on?" Taruto asked, looking at Kishu and Ichigo.

"It is alright Taruto; Kishu is just trying to make Ichigo feel better about something that happened." Pai explained.

"What happened?" Taruto asked.

"Something about her boyfriend." Pai replied with no emotion.

"Ichigo was going out with this guy, Aoyama, who Pudding never really trusted, and then just now outside the café he came over here and dumped her like a total meanie and made her cry, Na no da." Pudding whispered to Taruto.

"Oh…" Taruto said glancing at Ichigo; her eyes were all puffy and red.

"Lettuce-san, I came here to take you home, are you ready?" Pai asked, walking next to Lettuce and looking at her thoughtfully.

"Uh, I guess so, but I just want to make sure Ichigo is alright before we go." Lettuce replied, looking up at Pai.

"Very well." Pai replied, "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Lettuce said taking his hand in hers.

Taruto looked at Kishu comforting Ichigo, then looked over at Pai and Lettuce holding hands and rolled his eyes. He looked down at the ground in thought for a moment, trying to remember why he had come.

"Taru-Taru, what's wrong?" Pudding asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Uh, Deep Blue-sama said something… Oh yeah, he asked me to get Pai and Kishu for something…" Taruto said, thinking, "Oh, that's right, he told me to tell them to come back immediately, and if we didn't come, he'll have to get us himself."

At that second, Deep Blue transported all three aliens back to their own alien-created dimension, along with the humans that they were touching; Ichigo, Lettuce and Pudding. They all appeared in a murky blue area, in which it appeared to them like there was no ground, they were simply floating. There was a dark black figure ahead of them.

"Taruto, I thought I said immediately." The dark figure said in a very deep tone.

The three aliens knelt down in front of the figure respectfully; pulling the girls down onto their knees with them.

"Sorry, I was about to tell them when-" Taruto was cut off.

"Silence, why are they here?" The figure asked.

"You brought them with us," Kishu explained. "as you teleported us here."

"Hmm… What exactly were you doing touching them in the first place?" The deep voice asked angrily.

"Well, you see, Ichigo's boyfriend Aoyama dumped her and-" Kishu began, but the dark figure cut him off.

"I don't care about human emotions." The figure snapped.

"I understand. I was simply trying to make her feel better…" Kishu admitted.

"Kishu, our primary concern is not that of humans and their troublesome problems." The figure said darkly.

"Yes, I am aware Deep Blue-sama." Kishu said quietly.

"Then why is your concern that of human feelings?" The dark shadow asked.

"I… I don't know." Kishu said looking at the dark figure.

"Weaklings." The figure said harshly, "Learn how to fight for your planet."

The figure slowly faded away, as did the blue that surrounded them. They were suddenly kneeling on dark brown stone floor, with one dark brownish wall, brown pillars, and all surrounded by a deep green colour. Kishu, Pai, and Taruto all stood up; followed by the mews.

"Who was that?" Lettuce asked.

"That was Deep Blue-sama. He is the one who arranged this mission to take over the Earth." Pai replied, looking at Lettuce.

"Who spat in his cereal this morning?" Pudding asked angrily.

"He's always like that." Kishu said shrugging.

"So, this is where you guys go after you leave?" Ichigo asked, looking around.

"Yes, this is our own dimension that we ourselves created." Pai said proudly.

"Wow. That's pretty neat." Lettuce said staring into the abyss of green around them; it seemed to just keep going on forever.

"Kishu, can you take me back home? My parents might get worried." Ichigo asked, turning to Kishu.

"Sure Kitty." Kishu said smiling.

Kishu tried to teleport, but nothing happened. Kishu frowned and tried again; with no success.

"Hmm… Pai, something seems wrong." Kishu said seriously.

"What do you mean?" Pai asked, turning to him.

"I can't teleport." Kishu replied.

"Hmm… Let me try." Pai said as he tried to teleport; nothing happened, "Hmm… I see."

"What do you think is wrong?" Kishu asked.

"I'm not sure…" Pai replied in a deep tone.

Both Kishu and Pai glanced around for the source of the interference. Suddenly there was a deep voice that broke the silence.

"I see you have discovered that you cannot leave; I have set up a barrier that ceases your teleportation abilities." It said as it laughed.

"Why are you keeping us here?" Pai asked neutrally.

"Because, if we can get them to join us our victory will be attained much sooner; and I need your help to do so. Also, I am lonely…" The voice echoed, "So, I need to stay here until they join us. Farewell for now." The voice slowly faded.

"Lonely?" Kishu said scratching his head.

"This is horrible! My parents are going to be so worried, and when I finally come back they'll ground me for a year!" Ichigo cried.

"If I miss curfew my parents will be very upset with me, and they might not allow Pai to stay with us because he was supposed to get me home on time!" Lettuce said worriedly as she glanced around nervously.

"If Pudding doesn't get home no one will pick up her little sister and no one will cook dinner for all of her siblings or tuck them into bed tonight!" Pudding whined.

"Okay, Okay calm down. Pai, is there any way to stop the barrier?" Kishu asked.

"From what I can determine, there is no way to stop it right now." Pai paused, as he typed some things into a small slightly transparent computer on a small table facing the wall, an image was projected. "But, over a short period of time the strength of the barrier will weaken, and we will most likely be able to break it."

"And, how long do you think it will take before the barrier will weaken enough for us to escape?" Kishu asked curiously.

"I might have to do some more calculations, but it should be relatively soon." Pai said, typing some more into the computer.

"We have to stay in this creepy place?" Ichigo whined.

"It's not that creepy." Kishu said turning to Ichigo.

"Mm…" Ichigo groaned, crossing her arms.

Everyone was silent for a few moments; the only sounds heard were the sounds of typing. Lettuce stood behind Pai, watching what he was doing. Pai stopped typing for a second and looked at the screen with interest.

"What is it?" Lettuce asked quietly.

"It appears that this barrier might not be too hard to break." Pai said staring at the image projected on the wall.

"What?" Everyone said looking over at Pai.

"You see," Pai said pointing at an area on the image, "There is a small area where the barrier is not in effect."

"So, what do we have to do?" Kishu asked, walking over to Pai.

"We will need everyone's help. Lettuce and Ichigo, we will need you two to release your mew power over there," Pai pointed to a spot on the image, "That location is over there." Pai pointed to a pillar extending upward. "Kishu, you will fly them up there." Pai said turning to him; Kishu nodded, "The barrier is rotating, so I will need to tell you precisely when the weak area is above you so you can release your power, which will freeze the weak spot where we need it. Then, Taruto, you will have to carry Pudding way up to the very barrier itself. Neither of your powers alone will break the barrier, so you two will have to attack the barrier at the same time. That should break it; at that time I will fly up to where Kishu, Lettuce, and Ichigo are. Taruto and Pudding, you will come back down to where we will be. Then, all at once we will teleport before Deep Blue has a chance to put the barrier back up." Pai finished.

"Hmm… It sounds easy enough." Kishu said shrugging.

"Did you come up with all of this just now?" Lettuce asked.

"Well, yes." Pai said turning to her.

"That's a really good plan…" Lettuce said quietly.

"Thank you." Pai said smiling.

"Alright Pai, how long do you think it will be until the weak spot is above that area?" Kishu asked in a serious tone.

"Around two minutes, perhaps less." Pai said turning back to his computer and typing something with quick fingers, "I suggest you get into position."

"You heard him, let's go." Kishu said turning to the pillar.

Ichigo and Lettuce looked at each other and nodded; following Kishu. They stood at the base of the tall pillar.

"Kitty?" Kishu said offering his hand graciously to her, with a grin.

Ichigo stared at his hand and hesitated, then took it. Kishu's smile grew larger and he offered his other hand to Lettuce respectfully. She took it without hesitation or much emotion and faced the pillar.

"Hold on." Kishu said levitating off of the ground, lifting the girls with him sturdily.

Pai continued to type on his computer; Pudding and Taruto watching him.

"Be prepared, you two." Pai said to them, without turning away from his computer.

Pudding and Taruto looked at each other, silently asking if the other was ready. Pudding quickly changed into her mew form and looked to the pillar.

"Here we are." Kishu said placing the girls on the top of the tall pillar.

"Ichigo, we should turn into our mew forms." Lettuce said quietly.

"You're right." Ichigo said nodding.

Both of the girls transformed into their mew forms and waited patiently.

"Be prepared, the weak spot is approaching." Pai said loud enough for the people on the pillar to hear him clearly, "Wait until I say 'go.'" Pai said; they nodded in understanding.

"Are you ready?" Taruto asked turning to Pudding and extending his hand.

"Yeah, Na no da." Pudding said grabbing his hand and smiling.

"The weak spot will be in the precise location in… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… GO!" Pai said loudly, as he typed more into the computer.

Both Ichigo and Lettuce immediately released all of their mew power into the location. They strained, but held position.

"Alright, the location is suspended above them, but they cannot hold it for long, you must go now." Pai said to Pudding and Taruto.

Taruto and Pudding leapt off of the ground and ascended towards the weak area. They approached it quickly, getting extremely close to the barrier. Pai, being finished with the computer, grabbed what he needed and levitated towards the pillar. Being nearly 5 meters away from the barrier, both Pudding and Taruto sent their strongest attacks combined into the weak area of the barrier. The sudden release of so much power sent the two flying apart from each other and shooting backwards, hurtling downward in intense, high velocity spirals. As the attack struck the barrier, there was a booming noise; just as the barrier shattered. Pai reached the top of the pillar and took Lettuce's hand in his. Kishu wrapped his arm around Ichigo's as he, Ichigo, Pai, and Lettuce teleported away.

"TARU-TARU!" Pudding cried as she tumbled down through the sharp air; gusts of rushing air pulling at her flesh harshly and ripping at her face.

"PUDDING!" Taruto screamed, staring at her as he spiraled farther away.

The barrier began to rebuild itself, Taruto and Pudding could see the outline advancing fast; as they themselves became dots in each other's vision. Taruto glanced at the pillar; watching as his friends disappear. He saw the barrier closing up too quickly as Pudding disappeared from his vision. He shut his eyes tightly and teleported.

Kishu, Pai, Ichigo, and Lettuce appeared outside the café once again; Ichigo and Lettuce straining to keep themselves standing.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Kishu asked placing his hands on her shoulders to support her.

"I-I think so…" Ichigo said quietly; leaning against Kishu.

"Lettuce-san, are you okay?" Pai asked worriedly.

"Yeah, just a little tired." Lettuce said smiling tiredly.

"Good." Pai said, returning the smile.

The sky was darker than before, and the wind had picked up. Just then, Mint and Zakuro exited the café in their regular clothes and stared at them.

"Finally, we were wondering when you'd come back." Mint said angrily.

"We were trapped in a dimension created by the aliens, because this guy Deep Blue put up a barrier so they couldn't teleport, but Pai came up with this really good plan to break the barrier, and it worked really well. We may be slightly tired but at least we all made it out." Ichigo explained, sighing.

"If you all made it out, where are Pudding and Taruto?" Zakuro asked in a deep tone.

"…Oh my gosh!" Ichigo cried, glancing around and not seeing Pudding or Taruto anywhere within sight.

Everyone was started and glanced around quickly, discovering the same result as Ichigo; no Pudding or Taruto. Just then, in the middle of the little semicircle of people, the air began to ripple. There appeared both Taruto and Pudding, about six feet off of the ground and sideways in the air. They both fell onto the ground harshly; Pudding clinging to Taruto like a life raft. Both of their eyes were clamped shut tightly.

"Pudding! Taruto!" Ichigo said stumbling forward a step.

"Huh?" Taruto muttered, opening his eyes and looking around, "We made it?"

"What do you mean?" Lettuce asked, concerned.

"Well… It went down like this…" Taruto began.

**A moment before:**

Taruto glanced at the pillar; watching as his friends disappear. He saw the barrier closing up too quickly as Pudding disappeared from his vision. He shut his eyes tightly and teleported. He reappeared falling above Pudding. Quickly, he dove as fast as he could after her, weaving through the harsh piercing air that stung him like spears.

"Come on… Come on…" He chanted as he accelerated.

Pudding was still spiraling in the air when something caught her eye. She forced herself to slow the spinning and stared up at Taruto as he reached his hands out to her.

"Pudding, grab my hands!" He said in a worried tone.

Pudding obeyed quickly, behind him she saw the barrier closing up; not five second left before it would close back up.

Taruto pulled hard, yanking Pudding close to him and out of the spiraling. Pudding clung hard to Taruto and closed her eyes fearfully. Taruto quickly teleported both of them back to the café; just as the barrier was complete.

"Hey everyone, I made smoothies for-" Deep blue said stepping onto the dark stone floor, noticing everyone was gone, "Oh dang, they left…" He said sadly; casting his eyes downward.

**Back at the Café, Present Time:**

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, TARU-TARU, NA NO DA!" Pudding cried hugging him tighter.

"Uh… You're welcome…" Taruto said quietly; trying to breathe.

"Aww… Isn't that just one of the most adorable things you have ever seen?" Kishu said in a childish voice; a grin crossing his lips.

"Aww, you're right." Ichigo said, putting her fingers together and resting her head on her hands, while leaning against Kishu; who was doing the same thing as her.

Pudding finally released Taruto and smiled happily. Taruto frowned and stood up, dusting himself off; Pudding did the same.

"Pudding has to pick up her little sister Heicha, do you want to come Taru-Taru, Na no da?" Pudding asked hopefully.

"Fine…" Taruto said with a dull sigh.

"YAY!" Pudding squealed happily, "Wait here, Taru-Taru." Pudding said bounding into the café filled with joy.

As quickly as she had gone, she leapt out of the second story window in her regular everyday clothes. She landed in front of Taruto with a huge smile glued to her face.

"Let's go, Na no da!" Pudding said gleefully.

She took his hand and began to skip in the direction of where her little sister was. There was a small awkward silence.

"Lettuce-san, I believe that I should take you back home now." Pai said calmly.

"Yeah, my parents would be very upset if we miss curfew." Lettuce replied smiling.

Pai took Lettuce into the café to help her gather her things before they left. Outside the café, Mint snapped her fingers loudly and a limousine pulled up to the front. She got in without hesitation.

"Zakuro Onee-sama, would you like a ride?" Mint asked before closing the door.

"Hmm, sure." Zakuro replied shrugging and getting into the limousine.

The limousine instantly drove away, leaving Ichigo and Kishu alone with a very awkward silence. Ichigo scuffed her foot on the ground.

"Well, I better go home as well." Ichigo said quietly.

She slowly took a shaky step towards the café the get her stuff, stumbling. She paused and took another step forward, nearly falling down but Kishu grabbed her.

"Careful, Kitty, maybe I should come with you?" Kishu asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.

"I can make it." Ichigo said harshly.

Kishu shrugged and let go of her. She took a step and fell. Kishu grabbed her yet again.

"No you can't, I'm coming whether you like it or not." Kishu said calmly.

"… Fine…" Ichigo agreed angrily.

Kishu helped Ichigo into the café to get all of her stuff. Pai and Lettuce exited the café, Lettuce in her regular clothes and Pai carrying all of her other stuff in one arm and had his other arm around her to help her walk, she leaned against him tiredly as they walked. After about ten minutes they reached Lettuce's house. Pai helped Lettuce up the few stairs they had and into the house.

"Hello dear, welcome home Pai." Lettuce's mom said warmly.

"Hello, mom." Lettuce replied smiling.

"Good evening, Mrs. Midorikawa." Pai said respectfully as he placed Lettuce's belongings on a small wooden box near the door, although not taking his arm off of her in case she needed support.

"Lettuce, I need some help setting the table; could you help me?" Lettuce's mother asked.

"Uh, sure mom." Lettuce said slowly stepping away from Pai.

Pai slowly removed his arm from her, but kept watching her carefully. Lettuce tiredly stumbled a little and tripped on the carpet. Pai raced up beside her and caught her.

"Lettuce, are you hurt?" Lettuce's mother asked worriedly.

"I just had a hard day at work today, no big deal." Lettuce said softly.

"Okay, as long as you are alright." Her mother said.

Both Lettuce and her mother disappeared into the dining room. They all had diner and later, they went to bed.

**Puddings Evening:**

"Onee-Chan," Heicha asked Pudding, "is Taruto Onii-Chan going to stay with us tonight?"

Pudding looked over at Taruto with a hopeful smile and big, round, sparkling eyes.

"I'll think about it." Taruto said turning away.

"If you do, we'll stay up all night talking and become bester than the bestest friends, Na no da!" Pudding declared, holding Taruto's hand childishly.

Taruto decided to stay for the night. After Pudding's siblings had fallen asleep, Taruto and her stayed up almost all night eating candy, watching movies, and talking about random things. They fell asleep together on the small living room rug after playing poker with chocolate coins for two hours strait.

**Ichigo's Evening:**

"You really didn't need to come with me." Ichigo said for the tenth time.

"Nonsense Kitty, of course I did." Kishu said happily; his arm around her protectively, "I love walking you home."

Slowly Ichigo leaned against him drowsily. Kishu grinned with enjoyment. Ichigo pulled away nervously and glared at him.

"What's your angle?" She asked suspiciously.

"My angle? I think I'm about 93°." Kishu replied, confused.

Ichigo looked at him with one eyebrow raised, and then burst out laughing. Kishu was confused about why she was laughing.

"You're funny." Ichigo said as she finally stopped laughing.

Kishu smiled and looked up at the sky thoughtfully. He thought to himself.

'I wonder if my brother is having as much fun as I am.'


	16. Final Moments

**Chapter 16: Final Moments**

**A Moment with Hao:**

Hao was formulating a new plan to get Ren to join his team. He was sitting down in his "thinking fort" made of branches and leaves under a tree. "Yeah, that'll work! HAHA! REN! You shall be my ally!"

"Hao-sama?" asked Opacho pulling away some leaves and branches.

"TSS!" hissed Hao clawing at the air suspended in front of him and squinting his eyes at the sudden light. "OPACHO! I thought I told you to never disturb me in my thinking fort!"

"I am sorry Hao-sama, but, the marshmallows are ready." Opacho replied.

"Oh, in that case, bring me one-no two-no, bring me four marshmallows." Hao said shooing his friend away.

"Right away, Hao-sama." Opacho said disappearing outside the fort.

"Yes…marshmallows are brain food…it'll help me think of plans to take Ren from my brother and the rest of those idiots…they are not worthy of his company…" Hao crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand. "That's it! SPIRIT OF FIRE, COME HERE!"

The Spirit of Fire slowly crept towards him; he had been sitting with Opacho making the fire for the marshmallows. Unfortunately, the Spirit of Fire was made of fire. The fort set ablaze. Hao rushed out of it and scowled at his spirit. "YOU IDIOT! YOU RUINED MY THINKING FORT! I HAVE HALF THE MIND TO THROW WATER ON YOU OR SOMETHING!" The huge spirit scuffed his foot on the ground awkwardly, and tapped his index fingers together sadly, staring down at the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry Spirit of Fire; I can't stay mad at you!" said Hao hugging the spirit's ankle. "Anyway, the reason I called you here; I want you to sneak up on Ren, and take him by force! Grab him and tie him up! Then bring him here and I will force him to be our comrade!" Hao laughed maniacally and threw his arms in the air dramatically.

The Spirit of Fire groaned. Sometimes, he really did think his master was completely insane. The Spirit left to do his bidding.

"Hehe, Ren shall be mine…" muttered Hao sitting by the fire with Opacho. He glanced at his burned up fort and sighed. It had taken him a full day to make that fort, and it's not like he had a lot of spare time or anything. There was an awkward pause for about 10 minutes.

"Hao-sama?" said Opacho from across the fire.

"Yes?" Hao answered looking to his friend.

"Why do you insist on Ren being your friend?"

"He is great."

"Is that all?"

"He is greater than many other shamans on this earth, and he is only thirteen years old. In some ways, he is greater than my brother." Hao finished. Just then, the Spirit of Fire returned, looking rather embarrassed.

"Well, where is Ren?" asked Hao, not seeing his new comrade anywhere upon the spirit.

"Groagrafgrooooan." Groaned the Spirit of Fire.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Hao.

"What did he say?" asked Opacho, confused.

"In translation, he said; Ren was alone outside, taking a walk or something, so he decided to strike then. He approached him silently, completely out of sight, and then attacked him. But Ren kicked him in the shin. Apparently, this IDIOT of a spirit fell onto a building and knocked it down; it caused a chain reaction of buildings falling, like dominos." Hao glared up at his spirit and frowned angrily. "Are you really that dumb?"

The spirit sat down, his back turned from Hao and they heard sobbing. Hao felt bad for his spirit and tried to cheer him up.

"Hey, it's not that bad. I'm sorry I got angry, it's just, when it comes to Ren, I loose my temper…" Hao tried to see the spirit's face, but he kept turning away. "…Who's a giant spirit? Hmm? Who's the biggest, baddest, evilest spirit on the earth? Who?" said Hao in a childish tone.

The spirit looked up at him. "Grogfm?" he groaned pointing to himself.

"That's right, you are!" said Hao hugging his giant spirit. The Spirit of Fire was instantly cheered up, and even though you couldn't tell, he smiled at his master.

**A Moment with Lyserg:**

Lyserg had been sulking since he had left the sight of Lettuce. All he did was mope around Patch Village, and ignore everyone. At this moment, he was sitting on a bench by the water fountain, staring at the water sadly. It was almost sunset.

Mina, Venstar and Marco had been watching him for the last few days, making sure he didn't do anything crazy.

"Something is seriously wrong with him." said Mina sadly.

"You've been saying that for two days now." Marco said angrily.

They all looked at him worriedly.

Lyserg pulled something out of his pocket. It was a clear plastic bag, filled with a white powder. Morphin looked concerned, and it looked like she pulled on his hair to try and stop him. He opened the bag.

"NO!" exclaimed Mina, Marco and Venstar in unison. They all rushed towards him and tried to pry the drugs out of his grip.

"BUT I NEED THEM!" screamed Lyserg fighting with everything he had. His eyes were wide as dinner plates, and his pupils like peas resting upon those plates.

"YOU HAVE DONE SO WELL, LYSERG! DON'T GIVE UP NOW!" yelled Venstar pulling at the bag.

The combined power of three adults was much more than a small girly thirteen year old boy could take. The drugs slipped out of his hand, but at the same time, they slipped out of Venstar's hand. The drugs toppled into the water of the fountain.

"NO!" screamed Lyserg rushing to the water, breaking free of the now weaker hold of the adults. He fell to the side of the fountain, and watched. He felt his sanity slipping out of him, just as the drugs were slipping out of the bag.

A quick flash of his past flew by him in less than a moment, back in his young childhood years in London. After Hao had killed his parents, he had been forced to live on the streets until he was 12. When he was about 10, he had been begging on a corner near the docks. It was a very dark and foggy day; the smell of rain filled the air. A tall man with a long black coat walked by him. Lyserg scurried after him. "Please sir, may I have some money?" He had asked in his squeaky childlike voice. "Of course not, you'll just by drugs with it." The man had said in a deep Cockney accent. "Drugs? Please sir, May I ask what those are?" Lyserg asked quietly. "Don't play dumb with me kid," The man said as he spat at Lyserg, "I'm out of here." The man slipped his hand into his pocket and slyly skidding in a puddle; splashing Lyserg. But as he did so, a small transparent plastic bag fell out of the man's pocket and landed in front of Lyserg. Lyserg stared at the bag curiously. He wiped away the mud from his face with his sleeve and picked up the bag. He opened it slowly and sniffed the white powdery contents. Cautiously, Lyserg licked his finger and slipped it into the bag. He raised his finger to eye level and stared at the mysterious substance; then slipped his finger into his mouth. Suddenly, he came back to present time and remembered what was going on.

"NO!" he grabbed the soaked bag, but it was too late, there was nothing left. He slurped at the bag, but nothing. He dunked his face into the water and tried to slurp up the taste of the drugs, but there was nothing left of it. Lyserg stumbled off of the fountain, and fell to the ground. He skunked into the feeble position, and started to cry.

Marco was first at his side, followed by Mina and then Vestar. They slowly pulled him up and rested his back to the fountain. His cheeks were soaked with not the water from the fountain, but tears.

"It's alright Lyserg, you don't need drugs." Mina said in a comforting tone.

"But I do!" squealed Lyserg wiping his face with his sleeve.

"No, you don't. We can help you overcome this pain; all three of us have experienced what it's like to have someone not love you back." Venstar said smiling.

"You have?" sniffed Lyserg wiping the last of his tears from his face.

"Yes, sure it hurts for a while…actually, it can hurt for a long time…but eventually you will move on. I'm sure it is very hard for someone as young as you to have to face this pain. I was already 19 when I experienced it. I was much more mature, but Lyserg, we will help you through this." Marco said reassuringly.

"You promise?" asked Lyserg sadly.

"Yes, we promise." They all answered together.

"Thank you. You are all too kind." Lyserg said forcing a smile.

"Now come on, I'm sure Jeanne-sama is wondering where we are." Venstar said standing up.

Mina and Marco helped Lyserg to his feet, and agreed.

They all walked into the bright light, and disappeared. What they didn't notice was the whole time; there was a young boy shaman, no older than 9 or 10, watching the entire incident from another bench. He had been feeding the birds. He sat there, stunned, his jaw practically on the ground. He dropped his bag of bird seed, and ran off crying.

**A Moment with Deep Blue:**

"What am I going to do with all these smoothies and this game of twister?" asked Deep Blue setting the smoothies on a small pillar. He glanced around to make sure if no one was there. "Aww, I can't believe they actually left me here all alone…I was going to throw a party for them…I guess I can throw one for myself." Deep Blue decided to go out and buy a gallon of ice cream. He removed the barrier, and teleported away into a local convenient store. He found his favorite, vanilla ice cream, and took it to the cashier.

The man behind the counter just stared at Deep Blue, his eyes wide. Deep Blue had completely forgotten that it wasn't normal for a human to see someone with such big ears and such odd clothing buying ice cream.

"Umm…I'd like to buy this…" said Deep Blue calmly.

The man rang up the ice cream, not removing his astonished gaze from the tall man with the long hair.

"$2.99" he said simply. "Do you have, umm…money?"

"Mon-ey…umm…" Deep Blue grabbed the ice cream and teleported away.

The guy at the cashier rubbed his eyes and blinked twice.

"Maybe I do need those glasses…"

Deep Blue appeared in his dimension and started to eat the ice cream. Soon after, he played twister alone, and drank every single one of his delicious smoothies.

**A Moment with Ryou and Keiichiro:**

"How are we going to cope with the loss of our pawn?" asked Ryou. He and Keiichiro were in the back room. That was always were they…conversed.

"I don't know, maybe we should get another one." Keiichiro replied, he was careful to keep his voice down, for the Mews might here them.

"Like who?"

"I don't know, maybe Mint?" Keiichiro asked. There was a small pause.

They both burst out laughing, forgetting about keeping their voices quiet.

"HAHA! GOOD ONE!" laughed Ryou.

"HAHA! Oh, I'm just joking. What about Zakuro?"

"Hello? I heard hysterical laughing, is everything alright?" Lettuce entered the room.

"Umm, yeah, everything is fine pawn-I mean Lettuce…" said Ryou.

"Oh, okay then." Lettuce exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"Phew, the pawn almost caught us."

You see, Ryou and Keiichiro always used Lettuce as a pawn in their sick and twisted game of gay chess. They each made the other one jealous using Lettuce in one way or another, but now that she was married, they didn't think it was right.

"Well, it can't be Zakuro, shed figure it out." Keiichiro sitting down in a chair.

"And of course not Mint." Ryou said going to the coffee machine.

"Of course. But Pudding is too young, and I think we both have an idea of what it would be like if Ichigo was the pawn…" They took a moment to imagine the hysterical fits she would have over there metaphorical game of chess.

"Then who?" asked Ryou handing a cup of coffee to Keiichiro.

"I don't know, perhaps, we do not need a pawn…" Keiichiro realized. "Ryou! I have an idea!" He paused as Ryou looked at him curiously; Keiichiro went on, "What if we don't have a pawn? We could actually express our love to each other without making each other jealous all the time."

"By god, Akasaka-san, you are a romantic genius!" Ryou expressed his joy by locking Keiichiro in a huge hug.

At that moment, they fell in love with each other all over again.


End file.
